Far Future 2: New Recruits
by The Fink
Summary: The Silver Guardians are about to get four new recruits who are just about guaranteed to turn Eric's hair grey as the kids decide what to do now... [Second in the Far Future series NOW COMPLETE]
1. Arrangements

Disclaimer: Listen very carefully; I shall say this only once... That which you recognise is not mine. It's borrowed from BVE or Jim Henson/George Lucas without permission but no harm, no foul, no money made. Most of the rest is mine, you're welcome to borrow but please ask me first. The coffee machine, Left and Right belong to themselves.

With very grateful thanks to 'Nessa (test reading/beta'ing), Jonathan (beta'ing), Gamine (beta'ing/plotting) and Leathie and Ecolea (technical corrections). You guys are the greatest and I certainly couldn't have done it without you.

This picks up where Heritage and Like Father leave off (more or less).

~*~

Arrangements

Kimberly led Wes and Jen into the kitchen to find Eric still apparently arguing with the coffee maker. She knew he and John had been talking certain things through -- which probably explained why the coffee wasn't ready.

"Haven't you managed to master the coffee machine yet?" Wes teased.

Shaking her head, Kimberly crossed to the work surface and gently elbowed Eric in the ribs, getting him to move so that she could take a look at the various parts of the coffee machine and work out how long it would take before coffee was ready. She pulled a face as she saw the amount of coffee grounds he'd put into the filter. "Who are you making coffee for here, dear -- just you?"

"Guess I've got a lot on my mind," Eric replied quietly.

"Sure has been a crazy week," Jen agreed.

"Here -- let me. You go sit down and we can get this planning session underway," Kimberly advised, not unsympathetically.

Gratefully, Eric relinquished the machine to Kimberly and sat down at the table. A moment later and Kimberly sat down too, percolator bubbling away merrily.

"How do you do that?" Eric wondered.

"Practice," said Kimberly archly, offering him a smile. He rolled his eyes.

"So," said Wes. "What now?"

"What now?" Eric repeated with a sigh. "Well, we know what Lucas is going to say."

"Pretty much," Jen agreed.

"The legal side of things is taken care of," said Wes. "Finished dealing with it this morning, and -- may I just say -- this is probably the first time I've ever been grateful that my father has contacts in just about every single department when it comes to state officialdom."

There were a few brief smiles at that.

"I've spoken with the principal of Alice's high school," Kimberly said. "Briefly explained things -- fortunately...or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the guy started his teaching career in Angel Grove so I got as far as mentioning it had something to do with Power Rangers and he just said 'I don't want to know!'."

"Funny the effect those two words can have on some people," mused Jen with a grin.

Kimberly grinned back. "I wasn't about to complain, certainly. Anyway, when I said what had happened to the kids, he pretty much said he didn't want them at the school -- too disruptive."

"That'll please Lexia," said Wes. "So what about GEDs?"

"Home schooling, I guess," said Eric with a grimace. "Won't take long -- courtesy of the information implants."

"Then what?" wondered Jen.

There was a long silence at that.

"I guess..." Eric eventually began, "it sort of depends on what Lucas says about The Master."

"How do you mean?" asked Jen.

"If he's still a threat?" Wes suggested.

Eric nodded. "If he is still a threat...if they get to keep the morphers."

"If they do?" asked Kimberly.

"They have to join the SGs," said Wes. "No way Chief Mackenzie would condone them running around with morphers otherwise."

"Anyone else here not liking this?" Kimberly asked quietly, feeling her heart sink at that pronouncement. She wasn't terribly surprised to see both Wes and Jen lift sheepish hands. It did surprise her, though, that Eric didn't join them. She frowned.

"I don't like it -- of course I don't like it," he responded, sounding a little hurt that she'd doubted it. "In fact, I like the idea **less** than I like the idea of you holding Jen's morpher -- or mine, for that matter -- and we both know how much I like that." Kimberly couldn't argue with that statement. "It's just..." Eric sighed. "Whatever way I've turned this mess in my head, there's been two things that've stuck out as inevitable. The kids need to be someplace we can protect them...and we need to treat them like they're adults."

"What're you saying?" Wes asked, frowning.

"Can you think of a safer place than on traffic duty?"

"Point to Eric there," said Jen. "Although the kids will hate you for the rest of your life if you stiff them with traffic duty."

Eric smiled bleakly. "I'll live. But that's the other part of my point."

"What is?" asked Kimberly frowning.

"We can't just dictate to them they join the SGs."

"We can't?" said Wes in a tone of voice that suggested he was more than prepared to do just that.

Eric shook his head. "What do you see when you look at Rick?"

Kimberly watched as Wes frowned. "I see my son." Then Wes paled. "Oh shit."

Eric just nodded, a depressed expression on his face. "They're adults. Once they hold GEDs...we can't order them to do anything."

"Unless they join the SGs," said Jen, a faint smile on her face. "Then we can."

Kimberly snorted, trying not to laugh at the comment, suspecting the laughter was more hysterical than humorous.

Eric offered a smile. "Alice isn't the only one who's devious," he admitted. "That thought **had** crossed my mind."

"So we...what?" asked Wes.

"I guess," said Kimberly, "we tell them what their options are."

"And hint like hell about the SGs," said Jen. 

There was a long and uncomfortable silence at that.

Kimberly glanced at her watch. "Showtime," she murmured.

Looks were exchanged between the four of them and Jen produced the holoscreen pieces.

"Coffee?" Kimberly offered as Jen started to set up the device.

"I'll go get the kids," Wes offered.

"I think we're gonna need it," Eric stated as the holoscreen hummed into life. Kimberly nodded and started to move but Eric stopped her. "It's OK -- I'll do it."

"Hi guys," said Lucas. "Ready?"

~*~

Rick followed Alice into the kitchen feeling nervous. This was going to be the conference that effectively decided his fate along with the fates of his sister, his best friend...and just how **did** he classify Alice now?

Maybe that was something he should think about later.

When he knew what was going to happen to him.

When he knew for sure that he was staying this way.

With a wry shake of his head, he plopped down into the seat between Alice and Lexia. Then realised his father was frowning at him. _What've I done now?_ Then he glanced in Lexia's direction. _Or maybe it's not me..._ If Lexia wasn't careful, she'd actually be sitting on top of John...who didn't look as if he'd mind that.

The subtle clearing of a throat drew his attention to the end of the table where the holoscreen had been set up. Pictured on it was an Asian man wearing white. Some of the implanted information stirred. The white was a Time Force uniform. Rick frowned. He probably would never get used to the idea of information just suddenly being there in his mind.

"OK," said the man, "as we're all here, I'll get down to business. My name's Lucas Kendall, I'm a Major within Time Force and head of the Covert Operations department. Your parents can fill you in later as to what that actually means." He smiled. "I don't want to bore you!"

So this was what Lucas looked like. He heard Alice snort softly -- and he realised that she did actually know the guy.

"Courtesy of The Master -- the Frax clone's creator, we suspect -- you four are in my jurisdiction, so it's up to me to work out what happens next. The first thing I need to tell you is that, I'm afraid, what's been physically done to you -- the information implants and the artificial aging -- is permanent."

It was almost a relief to have that confirmed, Rick decided. It meant it was one less decision he needed to make. He sighed. One less out of a huge number, he suspected.

"Secondly, the morphers. All things considered, it's been decided that you four will retain the morphers. The Master is still a threat and, considering we're still not sure what his ultimate plan is, assuming he'll go after you again is a no contest bet. On that basis, it's not fair to leave you un-armed. As good as your parents are -- and they are exceptional..."

"We'll slip you the five bucks later," Wes murmured.

Rick snickered. At least his father's sense of humour hadn't been dented by all this.

"...they can hardly guard you twenty-four/seven," Lucas finished.

"I guess that makes sense," Alice observed.

"Once The Master's taken care of," Lucas continued, "we'll review the situation -- but for the time being, that's how things stand." He paused. "Any questions?" Silence. "Anyone not liking this plan?" Rick was half waiting for one of the parents present to object, but no-one so much as sneezed. They **had **known this was going to happen, then. "OK. I'll be in touch with more details about The Master as and when I have them. Kendall out."

And with that, the holoscreen went blank.

Rick turned his attention to the parental quartet and tried to work out what they were thinking, but their expressions were all carefully schooled.

"So," said Eric. "Now, we know."

"What happens next, dad?" John asked.

Rick watched as Eric leaned back against the work surface, arms folded. "The immediate next is that you all finish school."

"Oh this sucks," Lexia groaned.

"It does not 'suck'," said Jen firmly. "And you needn't panic that you're going to have to go to high school to do it."

"Then what?" Rick asked.

"Home schooling," Kimberly replied.

"Thanks to Frax, it won't take you long," Eric observed dryly.

"And then what?" Alice asked.

There was something in Alice's tone of voice that made Rick look at her. There was an almost knowing expression on her face -- it was an expression that he was fast coming to recognise as a sure sign she'd come up with a plan.

The four parents exchanged looks and it was left to Eric to say, "Then it's up to you."

"Hm." Rick felt Alice shoot him a glance. "I have an idea...but I want to talk it through with the triumvirate first."

Rick almost winced at the term. It was the term Alice had always used to refer to them. The three 'young ones'. The three kids. The group she wasn't a part of, by virtue of being seven -- nearly eight -- years older than the eldest 'kid'. Except she wasn't any more. For whatever reason, Frax had opted to only age her five years, leaving her a bare year older than the next oldest -- Rick himself.

If he was confused about how to think of Alice, how confused was she?

"Rick -- c'mon."

The impatient edge to Alice's voice dragged Rick out of his thoughts. He realised, somewhat embarrassed, that everyone was looking at him. Both his parents looked amused. Lexia, John and Alice were all on their feet, obviously on their way out of the kitchen to discuss Alice's plan.

"Oops." Hastily Rick got to his feet, earning him a snicker from Eric and a roll of the eyes from Alice.

"C'mon -- this side of Christmas," Alice muttered.

"Sorry."

~*~

"What," asked Wes as the quartet of Vengeance Rangers left the kitchen, "do you make of that?"

Eric drained his coffee cup. "Ever get the feeling all your nicely laid plans are about to be neatly spiked?"

"Huh?"

Jen craned her neck to look at Eric. "You think she's thought of the SGs?"

"This is Alice we're talking," said Kimberly. "The implanted information might have done wonders for her temper but my daughter is still a smartass."

"Can't think where she gets **that** from," Eric murmured, looking at the ceiling.

"Oh, you!" Kimberly made a halfhearted swat at him.

"This is good, isn't it?" Wes enquired. "We know that if Alice leads, the others will follow."

"Oh, it's good," Eric agreed, "saves us the trouble."

"But?" said Jen.

"It means someone has to figure out their training schedule a hell of a lot quicker than I was thinking."

"Pardon?" said Kimberly, frowning.

"Well," Eric explained, "I was figuring it would take us at least a week to convince the kids, which would give me plenty of time to figure out a training schedule...but if they come out and ask to join the SGs today..."

"Eric Myers, you lazy son of a bitch!" Kimberly exclaimed.

Eric offered her a grin. "You asked."

"In fairness," said Jen, snickering, "it isn't easy -- it's not like the kids can just join the next training group."

Kimberly snickered in response. "I guess not," she admitted. "But you're still lazy, Eric." She swatted at him again.

"Hey!" he objected.

Wes shook his head. "Remind me never to piss Kim off."

"Damn straight," said Kimberly, swatting in Wes' direction. "Pissing me off is a seriously bad idea."

There was a cough from the doorway. Alice was standing there, Rick beside her. Both looked amused.

"Guess you **don't** have to grow up to be an adult, huh?" Rick offered.

Alice grinned. "I could have told you that."

"Is there something you two want or are you just going to be rude?" Jen asked.

"Actually," said Alice, "we were wondering if you guys were ready to hear my plan -- but it looks like you're having way too much fun, so we'll just..."

"Alice," said Eric sternly, "you're not too big and grown up for me to..."

"Relax -- I'm kidding," said Alice, grinning.

"Twisted sense of humour," murmured Rick as he and Alice, closely followed by John and Lexia, entered the kitchen.

Eric growled in mock irritation. "OK -- what is this big idea of yours?"

Alice glanced at the others. Rick nodded, as much to say 'you're the leader, it's your idea, you tell him'.

"Well," she began, "I know...from stuff you and mom have said that Chief Mackenzie doesn't like Rangers at the best of times."

Eric blinked. That was comfortably the last opening he'd been expecting. "Ye-es?"

"And we," she waved a hand at herself and the triumvirate, "didn't exactly endear ourselves to the city...what with blowing up the East Hills training centre and making a mess of Cranston Plaza."

"Ye-es." Where the hell was this leading?

"So...what I thought -- and what Rick, John and Lexia have agreed about -- is that we should join the Silver Guardians." Eric wanted to feel relieved that this was what Alice had been leading up to, except that she was clearly hesitating. "Publicly."

"The sound of the other shoe," murmured Jen.

"Why publicly?" Wes asked.

"We want to make up for what happened," John offered. "We know that no-one beyond Silver Guardians got hurt..."

"...but they could have been," Lexia finished.

"And if Chief Mackenzie's as big an ass about Rangers as Alice says he is," said Rick, "if we don't join the SGs..."

"He will raise hell," Eric agreed dryly. Then lifted an eyebrow. "And just where did you get the idea Chief Mackenzie was an ass, Alice?"

Alice snickered. "You should learn to be quieter when he's annoyed you."

Eric closed his eyes and groaned. Softly.

"You walked into that one," Kimberly murmured.

"You realise that it's not going to be easy," Wes pointed out.

"We do," said Rick.

Eric opened his eyes again. "And you realise that if you do this, it's for real. You will have to train and you will have to take orders from people you've grown up around, like Ian Foster, Ben Johnson and Taylor Earhardt."

"We know," said Lexia.

"Dad," said John, "can you think of a safer place for us to be?"

__

I'm so not ready to have my kids use my own arguments at me! Eric groused silently. "OK." He nodded. "It'll take a week to get things sorted out -- which should nicely take care of your GEDs -- you start a week from today." Eric smiled a little. "With a suitably public press conference."

"Anyone ever told you you're evil?" hissed Wes.

"Frequently," Eric answered. Looking in Alice's direction, he added, "You were the ones who mentioned the public thing."

Alice looked less than overjoyed by the prospect of a press conference, but she nodded. "OK."

"The real work," Eric continued, "will start the following Monday."

A look was exchanged between the four 'kids' at that ominous pronouncement.

"Suddenly," said John, "this seems like a really bad idea..."

* * *

__

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Adjustments

Adjustments

"You know," Lexia mused, "when...um...Commander Myers agreed to this, do you suppose he had this exactly in mind?"

"Knowing Dad," Alice answered, sounding rueful, "probably."

"Cadet Collins, Cadet Myers; this isn't supposed to be nap time! Now get your sorry asses off those mats and try again." Taylor's voice was strident, echoing through the gym.

Lexia moved her head to look at Alice. "Do you suppose she knows?"

"Huh?" Alice met her gaze. "What?"

"That this is our fault," Lexia explained.

"I'm waiting!"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Alice returned.

Resigned to the inevitable, Lexia slowly rolled to her feet, aware of Alice following suit beside her. Their 'opponents' for this exercise, two absolutely huge Silver Guardians, stood just opposite them. Both looked sympathetic.

Taylor, on restricted duty thanks to the shoulder wound she'd incurred when the East Hills training centre was blown up, glowered at them in such a way that Lexia was almost positive the older woman knew exactly who had orchestrated that explosion.

"Again," she snapped. "And this time, see if you can keep your sorry asses off these mats for more than thirty seconds."

The two Silver Guardians started to move forwards in attack.

"Here we go again..."

~*~

Rick fought the urge to fidget as Foster gave him a critical look before nodding.

"You're unlucky," Foster said eventually. "You've got a very rangy build and you're not quite sure of yourself. You're awkward -- all arms and legs -- when you move. In a fight, or on patrol, that could cost you dear. Which is where I come in."

Rick nodded, embarrassed at hearing himself described that way, although Foster was not unsympathetic.

"What I'm going to do," Foster continued, "is teach you how to move." So saying, Foster gestured Rick to move out of the way. "A lot of people," he explained, "walk with a bounce." So saying, Foster walked across the training room, an exaggerated spring in his step.

Rick watched, mystified.

"It's not a problem," Foster elaborated, "but it makes for a lot of excess movement, particularly if you're built like you are. And on patrol, particularly hostile patrol, that can be deadly. So you need to learn how to move without presenting a nice, fat target."

So saying, Foster walked back across the training room. Rick couldn't put his finger on what was different, but the whole motion was far more controlled, graceful, almost dance like and yet it flat out **looked** predatory.

"The trick," Foster explained, "is to keep your body still -- from here to here." And Foster indicated first his shoulders and then his knees. "Or as still as you can keep it. You almost walk with your knees together. Give it a try."

Rick gulped. _Help!_

~*~

John looked from Barbie to Gina and back.

"You're kidding."

"On the contrary," Barbie answered, folding her arms. "We don't 'kid'."

"But...but..."

"You have a choice, Cadet Myers," said Gina. "You can either opt to learn office management or field medicine. Your choice."

John gaped. This couldn't be happening! He was a fighter. Was supposed to be a Silver Guardian trainee...and they were telling him he had to learn...

"Cadet Myers," said a commanding voice behind him, "courtesy of the information implanted in your mind, there is very, very little that basic training would teach you." John didn't need to turn round to know his father was irritated. "But you are far from a qualified Guardian. And seeing as you've now wasted a good twenty minutes of this session, Guardian Hines, he's all yours." Eric paused. "Ms Miller, would tomorrow morning suit you for starting your course?"

"What?!" John exclaimed. "But..."

"Silence!" Eric's tone brooked no argument. "Consider this your final warning, Cadet Myers. One more step out of line and you will be doing punishment duty." John gulped. "Ms Miller?"

Gina smiled and nodded. "Tomorrow will be fine."

"Good. Cadet Myers, you will do two sessions a week on office management and three on field medicine." John said nothing. "Guardian Hines -- he's all yours."

Barbie smiled.

John blanched.

~*~

"Ow, ow, ow, ow." Lexia groaned as she dropped down into her seat in the SGHQ canteen.

"Seconded," Alice replied. "I didn't think you could possibly **be** this stiff and still move."

"Hey guys," Rick offered as he joined them. "Ow -- you look rough."

"Commander Earhardt's idea of 'combat training'," answered his sister with a grimace.

"Beats what I've been doing," groused John as he arrived in time to hear Lexia's response.

"Oh?"

"Still can't believe dad's actually **making** me do this," John continued, dropping into the one remaining seat at the table.

"Do what?" asked Rick.

"I thought you aced all the physical tests," Alice observed.

"I did."

Their entire first week as Silver Guardians had been taken up by test after test after test which -- so Eric had told them -- would decide what training they each needed. They'd learned the results that morning, and soon after that they'd been split up.

"So?" said Rick. "What **have** you been doing?"

"Field medicine. With Guardian Hines."

"Ooh -- Barbie," said Alice with a smile. "She's good fun."

"Huh," grunted her brother. "And I start office management tomorrow. What the hell use is office management anyway?"

Lexia snickered. "Typing is a rare skill, Jonno."

John snorted and retreated into his lunch.

"So Commander Earhardt's been tossing you two around the gym all morning," said Rick, changing the subject.

"Not her," said Alice. "She had two class-A giants to do it. She's still on restricted duty because of her shoulder."

"And I think she knows we were responsible for her injury," Lexia contributed. "Either that or she's just a flat out sadist."

"Shsh! Lex -- you might wanna keep your voice down a little," Rick hissed. "She's just walked in."

Lexia paled. "Oh God -- like I wasn't in enough shit with her."

"It's OK -- don't think she heard you," John put in. "Looks like she's sitting down on the other side of the room anyway."

Lexia slumped back into her seat; only to wince as the action upset her assorted bruises.

"So how about you, Rick?" asked Alice. "You can't have gotten off lightly. Not if there's any sense of cosmic justice."

"I've spent most of the morning on my butt cos I can't walk and chew gum," he admitted. "Lex, say nothing."

"Who, me?" she said innocently.

Alice snickered. "Some kinda coordination course, huh?"

Rick nodded. "I kinda need it, I know," he said. "But..."

"Who's that with?" John asked.

"Commander Foster."

"Oooh -- lucky!" muttered Lexia. "At least he's patient."

"I get Commander Earhardt tomorrow," Rick pointed out. Someone started to hum the funeral march. "Har-de-har-har."

"So what do we have this afternoon?" John wondered. "Dad grabbed me almost the second they finished reading out the test results so I didn't get to hear this afternoon's entertainment."

"All of us have blaster practice on the firing range, then we get to finish the day off with Commander Johnson," said Alice.

"D'you know who's doing the blaster practice?" Rick enquired.

Alice shook her head. "Not a clue. Just know that we have to be on the range at two pm sharp."

"Wonder why they're including me in this," John mused.

Rick glanced at his watch. "We'll find out soon enough -- it's quarter to two, guys. We ought to get moving."

Lexia winced. "You had to mention moving, didn't you..."

~*~

"...either that or she's a flat out sadist."

Lexia's voice floated clear across the busy canteen as Taylor walked through the door. _No prizes for guessing who the 'she' is,_ she mused with a sigh. _I'm not training them to make friends, I'm training them so's they stay alive._

With a shake of her head, she collected a tray and proceeded to select her lunch, picking out a light pasta salad and a carton of orange juice, then, on a whim, she added a carton of chocolate mouse.

"Taylor Earhardt, that's not some calories I see on your tray is it?" joked Mayanne, the jovial SGHQ canteen overseer.

Taylor glanced down at her tray self-consciously. "Guess I'm having kinda a bad day."

"Well I won't tell no-one if you won't," said Mayanne, smiling. "Besides," she added, "a little sin now and then's allowed."

Taylor smiled faintly. "I guess."

Mayanne chuckled and waved her on.

Taylor sighed and took up a seat at an empty table. She started picking listlessly through the pasta salad, unable to really muster an appetite. Her gaze wandered across to where the four 'kids' were sitting, obviously comparing notes. Considering what they'd been through in the last few weeks, they were getting on amazingly well, she decided.

"Penny for them?"

Taylor started. Ben looked both hurt and amused -- an expression that she was fast growing to hate.

"Sorry, Ben -- I was miles away."

He flashed her a grin. "No kidding -- may I?" He gestured to the seat opposite her.

"Of course." Inwardly, Taylor winced that he felt the need to actually ask that. Then again, the last few weeks had been filled with tension between them.

Ben slid into the seat. "So how did this morning go?"

Ah. Safe topic. "OK -- I think. Pretty sure I'm now on Alice and Lexia's shit list, but that's what officers are for."

Ben smirked. "They'll get over it."

Taylor glanced across to the quartet. "Probably."

"Think they're gonna cut this?"

Taylor returned her attention to Ben. "Why shouldn't they?"

"You mean you've not seen the schedule Boss's worked up for 'em?" Ben queried. Taylor lifted her eyebrows. "PT with you and Fos every morning; shooting practice for an hour every afternoon then a bunch of 'classes' with me and Wes to finish off the day. It's punishing stuff."

Taylor winced. "D'you get the feeling there's something 'more' behind this than just the kids wanting to make amends?"

Ben nodded. "It's either that or someone's seriously pissed daddy off."

Taylor's gaze wandered to the quartet once more as they started to get up, presumably heading off for the afternoon's activities.

"So -- think they're gonna cut this?"

She watched as the four 'kids' headed out of the canteen. Alice and Lexia were both moving a little gingerly but both John and Rick were hanging back, offering them help if necessary, rather than striding off ahead.

"Yeah -- I think they will."

Ben gave a sigh that drew Taylor's attention back to him. He had a strange expression on his face that she couldn't begin to read.

"You're getting broody," he observed.

"I am not," Taylor retorted, blushing all the same.

"You are." Ben shook his head. "What's wrong with being broody, anyway?"

"Nothing -- I'm not broody."

"Right. Sure." Ben shook his head again. "Taylor, we really need to talk."

Suddenly the pasta salad was the most interesting thing in the room. "I can't do this now," she murmured.

"When, then?" Ben asked. "You've practically been avoiding me...I know you don't know what you want to do, but it's not just you. This involves me as well and you're shutting me out."

"Not now."

"When, then?" he repeated. "When do you let me in, Taylor?"

What little appetite she'd had departed. "Later, Ben."

She pushed to her feet, intending to leave the canteen.

"And what about you?" he asked.

"What about me?" she replied suddenly feeling exhausted.

Ben got to his feet and gestured towards her barely touched lunch. "I can deal with you pushing me away. I can deal with you avoiding me. Hell, I could deal if you told me you'd already had an abortion. What I can't deal with is you not taking care of yourself."

"You're not my keeper," Taylor snapped.

"No -- no I'm not." Ben grimaced. "But right now, I wish I was."

"How dare you! I..."

"I dare," Ben cut in coldly, "because, God help me, I love you. Not that you make that easy. You **have** to take care of yourself."

It was on Taylor's lips to snap again but at that moment, the world greyed. The next thing she knew, she was sitting again, with Ben crouching beside her. She half expected him to say 'I told you so'. Instead, all he said was, "Are you OK?"

She nodded. "Just..."

To her surprise, Ben took hold of her hand and gently squeezed it. "Taylor, babe, please. Even if you don't want me to be any part of this decision, promise me you're gonna take care of yourself."

And for some absurd reason, Taylor found herself crying. "Oh God," she murmured, suddenly finding herself nearly hugging the life out of Ben. "What a mess."

"It's OK, babe...it's OK," Ben answered. "We'll fix it. I promise."

~*~

Jen put her hands on her hips and watched as the four 'kids' trooped into shooting range's reception area. She was actually dying to laugh at the consternation on their faces but that would definitely be a bad move, so stern and forbidding it was.

"Mom?" Lexia queried.

Jen nodded. "I will be overseeing your target practice and blaster training. You will have a certain amount of leniency as far as how you refer to me goes, but please try to remember that in here, I am Commander Collins or sir. Calling me ma'am will earn you punishment duty."

"Which is just what Barbie said," John murmured.

__

And we all thought we were gonna have trouble with Alice... "Another thing to note," Jen continued, fixing an icy glare on John. "If I am speaking you do not." Jen was gratified that no-one so much as twitched at that. "Because there is only one of me and four of you, I have an aide for these sessions. Because one of you achieved top marks in the assessment of your blaster skills last week, that aide will be one of you."

John looked as if he was going to say something. Jen turned up her glare until he flinched and visibly shrank.

"That person is Rick." Rick looked blatantly stunned. No amount of glare prevented John's mouth from opening. "John. You have something to say?"

What happened next nearly caused Jen to bite through her lip in an effort not to laugh. John opened his mouth to say whatever was currently on his mind only to actually let out a squeak of pain as Alice elbowed him, hard, in the ribs. He finally managed,

"No sir."

"Good. We will be going out onto the range in one moment. Assignments are as follows. Lane one will be Alice. Lane two will be Lexia. Lane three will be John. Rick, I would like you to work with Alice -- who had the lowest score in this particular assessment." Alice blushed at that pronouncement. "Lastly, a blaster safety lesson. Pointing your blasters at each other or at me, even as a joke, is not safe. Being stunned is not pleasant. Anyone who opts to ignore the former," at that she fixed John with another glare, "will learn the latter the hard way."

Four separate gulps met that pronouncement.

~*~

Ben entered conference room number two for his session with the four Vengeance Rangers still somewhat preoccupied by his lunchtime conversation with Taylor. He had no idea what he was going to do about the whole mess that was his private life, but the sight he was treated to as he walked into the conference room was more than enough to jolt him from his thoughts.

All four of them looked exhausted, Alice and Lexia in particular. _Wonder just what Taylor did to them this morning!_ Ben debated what to do. He was sorely tempted to send the quartet home to get some rest, but on the other hand, Eric had devised this schedule with something specific in mind and as fully active Guardians, the quartet would have far more strenuous days than simple training.

"Ahem," he coughed, bringing three of the foursome suddenly upright in their seats. "This session is non-physical. I talk, you listen. You ask me questions when you don't understand." Three nods. "I know that it comes at the end of a very long day, but anyone I catch napping," and he brought his hands down on John's shoulders, making the unfortunate Black Ranger, who had been doing just that, jump, "will find themselves on punishment duty." Ben moved to lean against a nearby table. "Any questions so far?"

Lexia slowly lifted her hand. "Um...Un...um...Commander Johnson -- what is this session about?"

Ben smiled a little. "Police procedure, legal terminology and a little history of the Guardians as a unit. And," he added, "just when you think you're safe, Commander Myers has asked me to give you some written assessments."

"Dad would," Alice groaned.

"I'll do you a favour, this once," Ben responded, "and pretend I didn't hear that." Alice shrank into her seat and tried to look inconspicuous. "Today's session is on police procedure, specifically," Ben added smiling, "traffic duty."

All four Vengeance Rangers blanched.

~*~

"So," said Eric glancing around the room at the end of the first week of training. "Can I assume that since no-one's reported to me for punishment duty everything's going well?"

"Reasonably well," Taylor answered. "Alice and Lexia are picking up the techniques I'm teaching them almost faster than I can teach them. Rick is improving."

"Rick is moving slower than the girls," Foster agreed, "but he's having to get used to being six foot three on top of everything -- which isn't a problem the girls have."

"Very true," said Jen. "Even Lex didn't shoot up in height the way Rick did."

"Barbie, Gina?" Eric prompted. "Do I want to hear this?"

Barbie snickered. "You'll be pleased to hear that although he scowls through most of the session, John is doing fine."

"Ditto," said Gina. "For all his scowling, he's got the basics of typing down and he's already learned the filing system here – which is faster progress than the new office junior!"

Eric grinned at that and turned to Jen, the other person in the room liable to have been on the receiving end of John's attitude.

"Scowl-a-lot is a good description," Jen agreed. "I swear he's still sulking over the marksman scores. I do think, though," she mused, "that he was having an off day when he did that particular test. Certainly, he's averaging into the nineties with only the barest coaching."

"How about Alice and Lexia?" Eric enquired.

"Improving," was Jen's response. "I don't think either of them are going to be crack-shots or snipers but..." She shrugged a little. "Now that John's got his score up, I can get him coaching Lexia and do some one-on-one work with Alice."

Eric nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Ben -- how's this week gone for you?"

"I'm fighting two things, boss," Ben answered. "First, my material is pretty dry -- that's the nature of the beast." Eric nodded. "Second, by the time the kids get into the conference room, they're worn out. I'm cutting them a certain amount of slack because I know they're working hard and they're trying, but..."

"But they're not getting as much out of your sessions as they need," Eric surmised. Ben nodded. "OK. We can do something about that. Generally, does anyone have anything else to add about this week?"

Ben shifted a little in his seat. "Um..."

"John," said Jen.

Eric groaned softly.

"He's got an attitude problem," Barbie said. "It's nothing that merits whatever hideous thing you've come up with for punishment duty, but..."

"But he's arrogant," Jen added. "And not necessarily with reason, either. He's got a tendency to showboat -- which I'm hoping the tutoring will knock on the head, but..."

"But I'm more than likely to see him in here before training's through." Eric smiled wryly. "Noted. Thanks."

"Sorry boss," Ben offered.

Eric shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry about. If I'm honest, I'm surprised it hasn't already happened. OK. Next week..."

"Switch PT to the afternoons," Foster recommended. "If that's OK with Taylor?"

"Fine by me," Taylor put in.

Eric nodded. "Then that gives the morning over to blaster practice and theoretical stuff."

"Start with the shooting," Ben suggested. "That way, I can talk as long as I need to without needing to worry about Jen coming and kicking my ass!"

"Or mine, for that matter," Wes stated. "We were planning on starting the corporate sessions this week."

"Good point," Ben agreed. "Even bigger reason for the waffle session not to be at the end of the day!"

"Saying I'm boring?" Wes enquired, grinning.

"Nah, man -- saying what you're talking about is enough to put the energiser bunny to sleep!"

Eric grinned at that. "OK. Jen -- any complaints?"

"Nope -- fine by me too."

"Gina, Barbie? Any problems with switching to afternoons?"

"As long as someone doesn't roster me on patrol," said Barbie with a grin.

"Not a problem," said Ben, who produced the weekly staff schedules.

"Fine with me, too," said Gina.

"OK -- that's that settled. Here's hoping next week's as good as this one..."

* * *

__

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	3. Patrol

Patrol

It was relaxing on the couch, receiving a foot rub from Ben, that underlined how stressed the last four weeks had been, Taylor decided. And how dumb she'd been in the whole mess. It definitely felt good to have finally made a choice. Her smile faded a little. Even if she wasn't necessarily as sure as she'd made out.

"You're sure?" Ben asked, looking up, almost as if he sensed her train of thought.

Taylor sighed. She'd heard Eric occasionally refer to Old Mother Hen Johnson, but this was about the first time she'd had cause to meet him -- it was actually kind of sweet. Kind of. "I'm not sure about much," she admitted. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a mom..."

"You'll make a great mom," Ben put in. Taylor favoured him with a look that said 'shut up'. He obliged.

"What I do know...what I am sure about is that I can't do this on my own." Ben's expression turned inscrutable. "OK -- yes. You're right. I've been a complete idiot the last few weeks. Knock that off!"

"What?"

"If you wanna tell me 'told you so' at least actually say it." At that, Ben grinned. Taylor shook her head. "And...I want to go back to active status when my shoulder gets the all clear."

Ben's grin turned to a grimace and his fingers stopped working their magic on her feet. "I can't stop you," he said, in a tone of voice that clearly implied he'd like to. "But..."

"But you don't think I should."

"No, I don't." He sighed. "At the least, you should tell Eric. Let him make the decision."

"It's not his decision," Taylor answered, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. "I can still do my job. The doctor said I could be on active duty..."

Ben held his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. "OK -- OK." He sighed, this time in defeat. "When do you get checked out for your shoulder?"

"Tomorrow," Taylor answered with a sigh as Ben returned to the foot rub. "And it can't come soon enough."

"I thought you'd enjoyed doing the PT training with the kids," said Ben, puzzled.

"I have," Taylor admitted, "but...the last four weeks...I've not felt as if I've been doing my job."

Ben smirked faintly. "And you won't until you can officially go out on patrol huh?"

Taylor shrugged a little. "I know it's weird...that's just the way I am. Take me or leave me."

"Think I choose take," Ben replied, his smirk turning into something more suggestive.

~*~

Eric sighed as he entered his office. Monday morning: A time when he could briefly entertain the idea that it was going to be a quiet, peaceful week. Unfortunately, given it was the second week of official training as far as the 'kids' were concerned, he suspected this was going to be anything but a peaceful week. John was chafing at the training -- that much had been made amply clear to Eric by the running argument he'd had with his son over the weekend. 

John saw the fact that he was in training rather than straight into the Guardians force as some sort of personal slight -- as though the two courses were some sort of vendetta on Eric's part -- which was about as far from true as could be. Neither John nor Eric wanted John to be 'Mini-Eric' -- which was Eric's entire thinking behind John's training. There'd only been three Guardians prior to John to score at such a high level in the physical assessments -- the USMC had trained them all, and John's score was slightly higher than two of them anyway. _If he'd gone straight into the force, the comparisons would have driven him nuts,_ Eric mused with a shake of his head as he dropped into his seat.

Unfortunately, every time Eric had attempted to explain things, something had come up. Phone calls; Alice or Kimberly intervening; John's own temper. Eric's mouth compressed into a thin line. At the fifth or sixth go-round, he had lost his patience and **that** had ended very badly, with John storming off. John had eventually returned home but had been very ostentatious in his avoidance of Eric.

__

Which means he and I really need to have a chat today, Eric noted with a sigh. 

"Morning, Commander," Gina offered, breaking across his train of thought. He looked up as she entered the office and saw the pot of coffee she was bearing.

"Oh, that is not a good sign," Eric answered with a groan. "Any Monday morning when you come in here with coffee ready made, I know you've got some bad news for me."

Gina grinned. "Actually, no."

Eric's eyebrows lifted. "No?" From behind her back, Gina produced a manila envelope. "Let me guess," he said. "Taylor's medical release?"

"Well, I haven't opened it," Gina answered, holding the envelope out like some sort of peace offering, "but as it's come from Silverhills General, it's either that or they've finally taken a look at the CAT scan of Ian Foster and decided his brain's on permanent vacation."

At that, Eric laughed. "What's he done now?"

Gina just shook her head. "You don't want to know."

He took the envelope. "Knowing Fos, no, I probably don't." He looked up at Gina. "If it's any consolation to you, he's always had an off-colour sense of humour."

Gina sniffed. "None." She turned to leave. "Do you want me to send Commander Earhardt in to you when she arrives?"

Eric slit the envelope open. "Please." He glanced at the typed sheets, then back at Gina, who'd set the jug of coffee down on the hotplate. "And when the four cadets arrive -- which should be shortly," at that Gina grinned, "send them down to the shooting range."

"Change in schedule?"

Eric smiled. "Yep."

"And you couldn't have told them over the weekend because...?"

"I stopped mixing work and home life when I met Kim." Eric looked back at the typed sheets the hospital had sent. "Besides, there's no point in the kids getting used to a set routine. God knows this job is anything but."

Gina laughed as she left the office.

Eric turned his attention fully to the medical information the hospital had sent over. None of it was particularly new -- the initial incident report had long since crossed his desk, this was just a matter of formally releasing Taylor for work. Then something at the bottom of the page caught his eye.

__

While undergoing treatment, patient fainted.

Eric frowned. It was an innocuous statement -- particularly given that the injury was caused by three inches of rebar puncturing her shoulder. And yet it set alarm bells ringing in Eric's mind. Taylor Earhardt was not the sort of woman who fainted at the sight of blood, or from pain -- at least, not the sort of pain a wound of that nature would incur. Add that to the incident in the canteen the previous week... Mayanne swore that Taylor had almost fainted then, too. Eric shook his head. That just was not Taylor.

Then his eyes were drawn to the head of the page, where the basic patient notes had been inserted. One word leapt off the page. Pregnant.

"You wanted to see me, sir."

Eric looked up to find the object of his thoughts standing in front of his desk. He took a moment to give her an appraising look. With her arm no longer in a sling, there was no immediately visible sign of the injury, but he could see the visible signs of pregnancy, the way her figure was already starting to change.

"Taylor -- take a seat."

She looked mildly surprised by the use of her given name as she took the seat in front of his desk.

"I've got your medical release," Eric continued, patting the papers on his desk. He noted that she blanched a little. "As far as the medical staff at Silverhills General are concerned, you're free to go back to active duty -- of course, that'll need to be backed up by an exam by the medical staff here, but that's just an academic procedure." Taylor nodded slowly. "But..."

"But?" she echoed.

Eric sat back in his seat. It was far too early in the morning for these sort of games. With a sigh, he said, "Your case doctor's mentioned your fainting fit."

"Oh." Taylor looked down at her lap. "That."

"Yeah. That." Eric waited to see if Taylor would say anything. She didn't. "And that's not the only thing it says."

"Oh." Taylor sighed, shoulders tensing.

"What?" Eric asked, working hard to make sure his voice was as gentle as he could make it. "You're expecting me to put you on restrictive duty?" She nodded. He shook his head. "Only if you want it."

"I...but..." And disconcertingly, Taylor actually burst into tears.

Eric shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat. He knew that the outburst was most likely to be the result of hormones than anything else, but it left him feeling awkward.

"But...Jen..." Taylor finally managed to sniff.

Eric sighed. "Jen isn't on restrictive duty, beyond not being allowed to use her morpher. And even that is her decision, not mine. The only time I'd step in is if I'd been given medical advice that it would be dangerous to your health for you to be on active duty. Your release says you're cleared for active duty -- I'm happy to go along with that, unless you tell me different."

"Oh."

There was another prolonged pause in conversation, although Eric couldn't precisely call it a silence since it was periodically broken by the sounds of Taylor making a valiant -- if slightly abortive -- effort to stop crying.

"But you do need to tell me what you want to do," Eric finally said, when it looked as if Taylor was just going to continue saying nothing and sniffing. "I may have a fair idea of what I think you want, but..."

"I know...I'm sorry...I'm just...I wasn't...was expecting...you...this... You're being so **nice**!" she managed to object.

Eric blinked. "I'm not supposed to be nice?"

There was an electric pause, then the absurdity of her own remark hit her and Taylor gave a weak chuckle. "I'm sorry -- that came out wrong."

"Well -- good. I think."

"I just...wasn't expecting this." Eric sat back in his seat, amused. "And I know...I ought to know you better by now but..."

"But I'm still the ex-Marine son of a bitch who knew way too much about you." Looking sheepish now, Taylor nodded. Eric offered her a grin. "It's OK -- I stopped eating people for breakfast. They were bad for my health."

At that, Taylor managed a proper laugh. "Sorry," she finally said.

"It's OK."

Taylor hesitated a beat, then said, "Permission to return to active duty, pending the med-staff evaluation here?"

Eric smiled, still amused. "Granted." 

Taylor moved to stand up, then hesitated again. "Um..."

"Um?" Eric queried.

A smile was gracing Taylor's face now -- some real semblance of her normal, slightly cocky grin. "About this afternoon's PT session..."

~*~

"Finally, someone's realised how good I am at all this," John boasted as the quartet headed out of the firing range for conference room two.

"Get real," Lexia muttered with a roll of her eyes and a slight smile.

The comment took no wind from his sails. "Well why else would she have switched the tutoring around?"

"Because I asked for some range time?" Rick suggested.

"John -- if you don't get ahold of your ego, Dad is gonna kick your butt so hard you won't sit down for a week," Alice pointed out. To Rick, who was looking at her in askance, she added, "Dad and John have been driving mom and me nuts all weekend." She frowned. "More John than Dad, really."

"Ali, he's treating me like I'm a kid!" John butted in.

"Jonno," Alice retorted, "the way you're acting right now, you **are** being a kid."

"Don't forget," Rick put in, "until about a month ago, we **were** kids. Give the 'rents a break -- they're trying."

"Yeah. Very trying," John muttered.

Alice favoured her brother with a withering glare, but before she could find a response, the quartet had entered conference room two.

~*~

Dr Sonny Jackson, formerly of Angel Grove Memorial and currently CMO of the SGHQ, hummed cheerfully under his breath as he dashed his signature off on the first page of the report.

"Are you done yet?" growled his patient.

Jackson looked up, smiling. "Almost, Commander." He turned his attention back to the report and signed the second page.

"Any danger of you not humming?" she growled, more annoyance evident in her voice.

Turning over to the third and final page, Jackson chuckled. "Temper, temper, Commander." He cast his eye over the final page, making sure he'd noted everything. He could hear teeth grinding. He took no notice and double-checked that the details were all correct.

They were.

He signed the final page.

"Done?"

He looked up, still grinning, and held out the report. "Yes, Commander. You are certified for regular duty again. But..." He held it just out of her reach. "I would strongly recommend that you consider being assigned to something less strenuous than out right patrolling. Not immediately," he continued, as she opened her mouth to complain, "but within the next three to four weeks."

Jackson's customary grin slipped as she meekly nodded.

"Is this a compliant Taylor Earhardt I see before me?"

"Yeah, yeah, Jackson." She grimaced.

Jackson's smile returned, full force. "A true Kodak moment." He handed over the report. "Here you are, Commander. No doubt I'll be seeing you again."

He watched her leave the med-centre, catching her muttering "Not if I can help it," and smirked. Some days, it was good to be a doctor.

~*~

Taylor made her way back to Eric's office wondering, not for the first time, where on earth Eric had found the current CMO and -- perhaps more to the point -- what on earth had possessed Eric to hire him!

__

Docs and CMOs really should not be that perky, she groused silently, knocking on the office door.

"Come in." Taylor opened the door and walked in. "Ah -- Commander Earhardt. Survived a close encounter with our resident Energiser Bunny, then?"

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Yes -- thank you, sir."

Eric offered her a grin. "Be thankful he's unlikely to be the first thing you see when you wake up from two days of sedation." Taylor lifted her eyebrows, but he just shook his head. "All fit?" he continued.

"One of these days, Jarhead," she murmured sotto voce. His expression turned to full-blown smirk, which told her he'd heard what she'd said. Louder, she said, "Yes, sir."

"Good." He held out his hand for Jackson's report, which Taylor handed over. "Thank you. You'll be pleased to know that your shoulder's going to get its first test very shortly."

Taylor looked surprised. "Oh? I didn't think there was anything much going on at the moment."

Eric smiled wryly. "Famous last words. Had a call from Northland Collective -- they're the people who own the industrial complex that Frax called his home base," he added as she frowned. "Anyway, because of Frax and then Lexia's ideas of ground clearance," at that, Taylor snorted, "SPD have told them that if anything else, quote unquote, weird goes on, they're to call us."

"And something weird's gone on?" Taylor queried.

Eric nodded. "They've reported there's been additional vandalism of the site over night, and someone appears to have broken into one of the remaining warehouse units on the site."

Somewhat to Taylor's surprise, Eric pushed to his feet. "Sir?"

"No -- I'm not inviting myself onto your team," he said, smiling a little. "You should find that Shawn Clingleffer, Paul Jones and JJ Haynes are ready and waiting for you."

Clarity dawned and Taylor grinned. "You liked my idea, then?"

Eric nodded. "It certainly makes sense -- and given where you're going on this little exercise..."

"Having the booby trap artist along for the ride's definitely a good idea," Taylor finished.

~*~

Lexia put her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the yawn that was building. It wasn't a successful effort. This was possibly the driest, most boring session they'd had so far in conference room two.

And that was saying something!

This session was being given by her father, instead of Ben, and was about...about...

It was no good, she realised, she hadn't got a clue what he'd been talking about. She took a sidelong glance at John. His eyes looked completely glazed over. He'd be no help. Maybe Alice or Rick...

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and then Eric walked, followed by Taylor. The bone-deep boredom Lexia had been feeling started to shift, rapidly. What was going on now?

"Sorry to interrupt," Eric said.

Wes smiled. "Be my guest."

"Alice, Lexia -- this way, please?"

Feeling puzzled, and vaguely wondering what she'd done, Lexia got to her feet and followed Taylor and Alice from the room. 

"No need to look so worried, Alice," Eric observed as he joined them in the hallway. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"It's quite straight forward," Taylor explained. "My squad is going to investigate something that may or may not have gone down on the Northland Collective's industrial complex. It's also two men down."

Lexia's heart beat a little faster at that. She couldn't mean...it couldn't be...

"We want you to round out the patrol," said Eric. 

* * *

__

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Problem

Problem

John listened to Wes' talk about the origins of the Silver Guardians as a security force and how they related to Biolab with half an ear. It wasn't that he was bored by the subject -- far from it. Under any other circumstances, he'd have been fascinated, but currently, most of his attention was directed to Alice's earlier assessment:

__

"The way you're acting right now, you **are** being a kid."

It was so untrue!

__

_Is it?_ queried the honest part of his mind. _After all, how adult is it to sulk like you've been doing?_ John growled softly, annoyed at the honesty, and at the same time, knowing -- deep down -- that it was true.

He had been acting like a kid. A bad-tempered, spoilt brat who wasn't getting his own way, in point of fact. And it really wasn't as if his father was being all that much harsher on him than the rest of the gang. Field medicine wasn't that bad. Nor, if he was totally honest, was the office management stuff.

As he reached that point in his thoughts, there was a knock on the conference room door. A moment later and his father and Taylor walked in. John frowned. _Odd..._

"Sorry to interrupt," Eric said.

Wes smiled. "Be my guest."

"Alice, Lexia -- this way, please?"

John's frown deepened. There were a couple of reasons he could think of for Eric calling Alice or Lexia out of this session, but calling both of them -- and Taylor's presence -- suggested only one reason.

"Should I expect them back?" Wes asked quietly as Eric followed Taylor, Lexia and Alice out of the room.

Eric offered a smile and a slight shake of the head.

John felt a surge of annoyance at that. It wasn't fair! Why were the girls going out on patrol? What made them more ready than he was? So much for his father being even handed. How even handed was this? How...

"Well, think we've hit a good place to stop," said Wes, breaking into John's thoughts. "I'll pick up in Wednesday's session."

__

_You mean so the girls don't get behind,_ John thought bitterly. _This sucks._

~*~

Lexia trailed after Alice and Taylor, trying desperately to quell the squadron of butterflies currently looping-the-loop in her stomach. Surely she wasn't ready to go out on patrol.

As they entered the vehicle yard, Taylor called, "JJ, Shawn, Paul?" At her words, the trio of Guardians lurking around one of the SUVs looked up. "I'll do a full briefing en route -- we have two new members of the team: Cadet Alice Myers and Cadet Lexia Collins." 

Lexia smiled faintly at the three Guardians as her name was mentioned. 

"Cadets," Taylor added, turning slightly to face Lexia and Alice, "this is Guardians JJ Haynes, Shawn Clingleffer and Paul Jones." And she nodded to each of the Guardians in turn.

JJ and Paul both smiled politely when named. Shawn rolled his eyes.

"OK -- let's move out," Taylor finished, shooting Shawn an icy glare.

JJ was obviously the designated driver of the squad as he claimed the driver's seat while Paul took the passenger seat. Taylor and Alice took the next two seats, leaving Lexia to sit next to Shawn in the rumble seat at the back. As he sat down, she clearly heard him mumble,

"Thought this was a security force, not a baby-sitting service."

Lexia hunched up and made herself as small as she could, not wanting to antagonise the grouchy Guardian any further and received a glare for her efforts.

"Where are we going, boss?" JJ asked as they pulled out of the vehicle yard.

"Northland Collective Industrial Park," Taylor answered. "For the uninitiated, that's where Frax and the Cyclobots were based last month. When they were...dealt with, most of the site was blown up..."

"The mad bomber strikes again," Shawn muttered.

Lexia shifted uncomfortably and said nothing.

"...leaving most of the site now abandoned," Taylor concluded, fixing a glare on Shawn for interrupting. He subsided. "Last night," she continued, "one of the remaining warehouses was thought to be broken into and the whole site suffered additional vandalism. Our job is to look into this and see what we can find out, particularly as regards the break in. It's our case for time being -- SPD have officially turned it over to us on account of it being 'weird'."

The stress Taylor placed on the word weird set JJ and Paul snickering. Even Shawn looked slightly less sullen. It took Lexia a few moments before she realised that weird was now an official classification of case within the SPD. Ben had mentioned it in one of the sessions the previous week. _Guess I have learned something, then._

"Cadet Collins," Taylor continued, snapping Lexia's attention back to the conversation, "you were responsible for the site's demise."

"Y—yes sir," Lexia answered, uncomfortably aware of the force ten glare she was now getting from Shawn.

"What are the chances of there being any unexploded charges?" Taylor asked, either oblivious to or just simply ignoring Shawn.

Lexia made a mental scramble for her wits. How had she wired Frax's head quarters? "Probably very slim." Shawn snorted and muttered something. Lexia swallowed and continued, "I only wired the building I knew Frax was using. I assumed the rest of the site was in use by other people." She paused for a second. "I will know for sure when I see the site. I know where I planted charges."

"Yeah right," muttered Shawn.

Lexia found her nerves giving way into annoyance, but before she could say a word, Taylor intervened. "Clingleffer, one more noise out of you and you'll be back on report."

Lexia watched as Shawn subsided with visible bad grace.

"Cadet Collins, do you have anything more to add?" Taylor continued.

"No, sir."

"All right then. Once Cadet Collins has confirmed the site's safe we'll break by pairs and check it out. JJ -- I want you to show Cadet Collins the ropes. Paul -- you're with Cadet Myers. Shawn," Taylor paused, a slightly evil expression on her face, "you and I are going to work together."

~*~

Rick shook his head as he looked at John across the canteen table. The expression on his friend's face clearly demonstrated the truth in Alice's earlier assessment. _And the last thing I'm going to do is point that out,_ Rick mused.

"Well don't **you** think this is unfair?" John asked.

Rick sighed. "No -- I think we don't know what the situation is." John opened his mouth to interrupt but Rich forestalled him. "I mean it's probably some sort of criminal investigation. Lexia and Alice have both got skills that would be useful on that."

"He's picking on me," John decided, apparently ignoring Rick's words.

Rick blinked, not following this new tangent. "Who is?"

"My father," John answered. "That's what it is -- he's picking on me."

"Don't be dumb!" Rick shook his head. "That's the last thing Commander Myers is doing."

"Whose side are you on here?" John retorted.

"My own," Rick answered, his own temper beginning to flare. "It's not about sides, it's about being reasonable."

"Are you saying I'm not?"

Rick winced. The look on John's face promised serious fireworks now. "No -- I..."

"Screw this," John cut in. "You're on his side." And with that, John stormed away from the table.

__

_Great going, Rick -- really good work there._ He groaned softly. _Now what?_

~*~

Lexia was more than a little appalled by the state of the Northland Collective Industrial site when she arrived.

"There is no way what I set could have done this!" she murmured sotto voce. Most of the buildings on the site had been damaged while several -- in addition to the one Lexia knew to have been the seat of the explosion -- were almost completely destroyed. "I only wired one building."

"Cadet Collins?" Taylor prompted. "Anything we need to be wary of?"

"Um..."

"Not reassuring."

Lexia shot Alice a helpless glance and sighed. "This is more damage than I caused, sir."

Shawn snickered. Taylor fixed him with a glare before saying, "Explain?"

"I wired Frax's building. Even allowing for fall out and blast radius... This is more damage than I set up, sir."

"I see." Taylor pursed her lips for a moment. "OK. Assessment, Cadet Collins: Are any of your charges going to be left on site that we need to be careful of?"

"No, sir." That was something Lexia **was** certain of.

"OK. Theorise on what caused the rest of the damage while we look into this case..."

"Sir?" Alice put in.

Taylor lifted an eyebrow. "Cadet Myers, you have something to add?" she enquired, polite sarcasm underlining her dubiety.

Lexia noted that Alice didn't look abashed. "Yes, sir." Taylor waited, looking expectant. "I was just thinking that, if I'd been Frax, I would have rigged this site with some sort of self destruct, in case Time Force ever got close to finding it." 

"Go on." Taylor's tone gave nothing away.

"Depending on what that self destruct was," Alice continued, "when we rigged his base to blow, we could have triggered it."

"Cadet Collins," Taylor enquired, "based on what you know, is that likely and if so, do we need to be wary?"

Lexia frowned for a second or two. "Likely, yes. Do we need to be careful? I don't know what the destruct system was so I have to say yes."

Taylor finally nodded. "Good answers both of you." To the squad as a whole she said, "OK -- break by pairs. Let's get this investigation done."

In short order, Lexia found herself inside the remnants of one of the warehouses with JJ.

"At the risk of springing a line," JJ began as he carefully poked through some of the rubble, "what's a pretty girl like you doing in an outfit like the SGs?"

"It's kinda a long story," Lexia replied, feeling herself blush a little at the compliment. "And...kinda accidental."

JJ grinned. "Well, 'accidental' or not, you sure have Commander Earhardt's attention -- she's impressed with you. So'm I," he added.

Lexia's blush deepened and she was glad that the lighting was dim.

"I mean it," he continued. "Shawn's an... Well, he tries to be the Big Bad, and I've seen him eat more new recruits than..." He grinned again. "His bark's worse than his bite, but you didn't cave against him. He'll respect you for it."

Sparing Lexia from making a response, her headset burst into life.

"JJ, Lexia, how are things looking in your area?" Taylor asked.

"I've got it," JJ said, offering Lexia a smile and reaching for the transmit button on his headset. "All quiet so far, sir -- no signs of anything beyond rubble, and garbage."

"Understood."

There was the faint crackle of static as Taylor closed the comm. connection. Lexia watched as JJ fiddled with his headset, her blush finally receding. He was, she reflected, pretty cute, and he seemed to actually like her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

~*~

"So what did you guys do that you landed up with Commander Earhardt?" asked Paul as he led Alice through one of the more intact warehouses on site.

Alice smiled. "Oh, the usual -- blew the hell out of East Hills Training Centre, wrecked Cranston Plaza, tried to kill Commander Myers..." She giggled as Paul stopped dead.

"You're kidding!"

"Nope." She shook her head. "One hundred percent not kidding." She smiled wryly. Paul started walking again. "If it is a joke, it's not **my** idea of one. Or Dad's, for that matter."

Again Paul came to an instant stop. "Myer...oh God. You're... Com... He..."

Alice sighed. "Breath and try finishing a sentence," she recommended.

Paul took a moment to regain his composure. "You're Commander Myers' daughter?" he finally managed.

"Yep." She hesitated. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Paul shook his head. "Problem, no -- shock, yes."

"Shock?" Alice echoed.

Paul shrugged and started to lead the way once more. "I dunno -- he's always been so...proud of you. So..." He shrugged. "I dunno. I always figured the **last** thing he'd want you doing was joining the SGs."

Alice smiled faintly. That certainly sounded like Eric. It wasn't that he was somehow ashamed of the Silver Guardians; it was more that he disliked the idea of putting his family in danger. Of course, courtesy of The Master, that had rather got turned on its ear. "Don't think he wants me...us to be SGs now," she admitted. "He's kinda got no choice in the matter."

"Ouch."

Alice opened her mouth to reply when movement up ahead caught her attention and instead she said, "Did you see that?"

Paul nodded. "C'mon -- we're here to investigate. Let's go take a look-see."

~*~

John reached the SGHQ med-centre still stewing over the conversation he'd had with Rick. He had a nasty feeling Rick was right -- which left him feeling guilty and angry and confused. If Rick **was** right, it meant he was wrong. It probably meant that Alice was also right...which left him with the uncomfortable answer that he really was behaving like a brat.

"Aah, Mini-me."

John cringed at the voice. The SG CMO, Dr Sonny Jackson, had been one of the first people to spot the overwhelming resemblance between him and Eric -- and had the type of personality that just refused to let go of something like that. As a result, it had barely taken ten minutes before John had found himself being called Mini-me by the perpetually cheerful doctor.

__

_"Ignore him and he goes away,"_ had been the less than sympathetic response from Eric.

"Dr Jackson." John managed to reply without sounding as if he desperately wanted to strangle the annoying doctor. "Is B...Guardian Hines here?"

  
Jackson smiled and shook his head. "Sorry -- afraid she called in sick this morning."

"Oh." There didn't really seem to be a lot else to say.

"She's going to be out all this week," Jackson continued, still smiling. "So Commander Myers asked me to send you down to reception."

__

_Why didn't he say something this morning?_ John wondered as his temper began to simmer again. _Unless he really **is** picking on me, and this is punishment for something..._ "Oh -- thank you."

"You're welcome, Mini-me."

John gritted his teeth. _Can't kill him. Can't kill him..._ Fists clenched, he turned on his heel and headed out of the med-centre. Then it dawned on him what exactly Jackson meant. _This is **so** not fair!_

~*~

Shawn was sulking, Taylor decided, looking at him as they poked through a pile of rubble. She shook her head. "You were expecting me to congratulate you on your stunning wit and charm?" she enquired, polite scorn lacing her words.

  
Shawn jumped and said nothing.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "You have a bad attitude and a bad rep, Shawn, and hazing new recruits is only gonna make it worse."

Shawn said nothing.

"You want to go back on report?" Taylor asked.

"No." The reply was surly and monosyllabic.

"So what was with the tough guy act?" No reply. "Know what I think?" No reply. "You think you're a wash-out so you're trying to get yourself kicked out." No reply. "You think that because you missed out on promotion last time round that your chance has gone and what the hey, why not just let the rest of your career go to hell."

There was still no response from Shawn, but the mulish set to his expression suggested to Taylor that she was on the right track.

"Well guess what," she continued. "We all miss out on shit we think we deserve. Only quitters miss out on it period. You wanna be a quitter?" No reply -- but Taylor hadn't really expected one.

They worked on in silence for several moments.

"You're wrong," Shawn finally mumbled.

"Am I?"

"I don't 'think' I'm a wash-out. I know I am."

Taylor opened her mouth to reply but whatever she had in mind to say was lost as a burst of static over the headsets interrupted the conversation.

"Commander?" Alice's voice sounded a little tinny over the headset. "Think we've found something. You might want to take a look at this."

"Understood -- on my way."

~*~

John all but stomped down the stairs into the SGHQ reception area. The order to report there **had** to mean he was having an extra session with Gina on office management, which was not exactly a salve to his temper. On the other hand, his curiosity was piqued by the order. The fact that he was reporting to reception rather than to the admin office meant that this session was going to be something new.

Probably.

"Ah, John." Gina was sitting at the reception desk. "Something new for you today." In spite of himself, John felt a small thrill of anticipation. "Vanessa, the afternoon receptionist, is out sick..."

"Another one?" John couldn't help but comment.

Gina grinned. "Something like that," she agreed. "So, what I thought was you could cover reception with me this afternoon."

Anticipation turned sour in his stomach at Gina's answer. It might be something new, but John didn't need any clairvoyant skill to know that this particular session was going to be tedious. _Oh great..._

~*~

"Well, this place looks clear," JJ decided.

"Yeah -- few bits of graffiti, that's it," Lexia agreed, surveying the ruins. "Hardly crime of the century material."

JJ snickered. "True."

"So what now?" Lexia asked.

Before JJ could answer, there was a burst of static and Taylor's voice came over their headsets: "JJ, Lexia -- report to Warehouse Two."

"Understood, sir -- on our way," JJ answered. He headed for the exit of the warehouse they'd been investigating. "C'mon -- this way."

Lexia followed. "Warehouse Two -- that was Alice and Paul, wasn't it?"

"Uh-huh. Means they've found something," JJ replied. "Probably something the Commander wants you to take a look at in case it's wired to explode."

Lexia frowned. "Wouldn't we have heard Alice or Paul notifying the Commander?"

JJ shook his head. "Comm.'s generally set up so that there's a controller and all the voice traffic goes via them rather than everyone hearing everyone else. Makes things less confusing." He held the door of Warehouse Two open. "C'mon."

Lexia followed JJ into the warehouse and found herself confronted by a very strange sight: Eight, full-length mirrors arranged, facing inwards, in a circle.

"Weird set up," JJ murmured.

"Isn't it," Taylor agreed. "Lexia, Alice...either of you know anything like this?"

Alice shook her head. "New one on me, sir."

Lexia frowned. Something about the set up nagged at the back of her mind. "Not sure," she replied.

"Not sure?" Taylor echoed. "Explain."

"Well it's not some sort of futuristic explosive device," Lexia answered. "But there's something..."

"Get down!"

Shawn's yell was the cue for all hell to break loose. Hundreds of Cyclobots materialised out of nowhere, Cyclosabres firing. Lexia found herself being pulled to the ground by JJ as his experience allowed him to react far faster than she did. Her own reactions kicked in as she hit the concrete and she instinctively rolled behind the nearest piece of cover -- a couple of packing crates. JJ followed.

"And this was supposed to be easy," JJ muttered, his voice barely audible over the whine of blaster fire, as he drew his own blaster and started to return fire.

For a second, Lexia hesitated. It wasn't the first time she'd faced live blaster fire, but facing it while morphed and shielded was one thing. Facing it in the flesh with only a wooden crate between her and the lethal energy charges was totally different. For a second, everything seemed to close in around her.

"Son of a..."

JJ's bitten off curse pulled Lexia back from the brink of a panic attack. The shower of wood splinters told her what had happened as she drew her own blaster. Kneeling up, Lexia started to return fire, covering him as he dropped back behind the packing cases. "You OK?" she asked.

"Peachy," JJ answered. "You?"

Snapping off a couple of shots, Lexia joined him behind the crates. "Scared out of my mind."

JJ offered her a lopsided smile. "You're doing fine."

~*~

Gina had produced some copy typing for him to do while he covered reception, but it didn't prevent John from feeling one hundred percent bored to tears. How did Gina and Vanessa and people like that stand the routine?

"I need to see Commander Myers." The voice was cracked and husky but with a thread of urgency in it that seemed strangely out of place. Looking up, John saw its owner was a man in his late twenties or early thirties -- but judging anything more than that about him was rendered impossible by the sheer amount of bruising on the man's face. And from the way he was standing, John guessed it wasn't just his face that was bruised.

  
"I'll get Dr Jackson," Gina began, starting to get up from her seat.

"No -- no time. I **need** to see Commander Myers," the man insisted. "It's urgent."

"Who..." John began, reaching for the telephone to buzz Eric.

"Paul Jones...Guardian Paul Jones," the man replied. "They've held me prisoner for the last four weeks...barely managed to escape...I need to see Commander Myers **now**."

Panic started to rise in John's throat at the name. Currently on his computer screen was a list of Guardians out on patrol. Lexia's name was listed in the same patrol as a P.Jones.

~*~

From her cover behind a stack of empty chemical drums, Taylor took stock of the situation while Shawn covered her. This was a screw up. Only the fact that Shawn had seemed to have some inkling that the attack was going to take place had prevented them from taking casualties there and then. And that in itself begged the question how had Shawn known? _And this is no time to ask it._

Lexia and JJ were on the far side of the warehouse, hunkered down behind some packing cases. They seemed to be OK for time being. Taylor's real concerns were Alice and Paul, who'd become pinned down inside the mirror circle. Then there was the side bar that her headset was being jammed on the SGHQ frequency so there was no hope for a rescue squad any time soon.

"Boss," Shawn called, "I figure you don't wanna hear this, but..."

"But?"

"But things just got worse."

~*~

Lexia was back on her feet and firing when she noticed something strange going on within the mirror circle. Alice and Paul had been pinned down within its confines, and, while they had been able to keep the Cyclobots at bay, they hadn't been able to escape its confines.

As Lexia looked on in mounting disbelief as Paul, who had been covering Alice's back, suddenly turned to face Alice and calmly fired a stun blast into her unprotected back. Then, before anyone could react, he had grabbed her by the arms and dragged her unconscious form **through** one of the mirrors.

Lexia couldn't believe what she'd seen. One second, Alice and Paul had been in the circle of mirrors the next, they'd vanished.

~*~

John watched as Eric greeted the man who was claiming to be the real Paul Jones. There was no reaction. Didn't he care? There was an impostor in a Silver Guardian patrol... John made his mind up.

As Eric led Paul out of the reception area, John excused himself to Gina and headed for the men's room. Eric might not be going to do something about this but John wasn't prepared to sit around and wait.

~*~

At Shawn's words, Taylor had got back to her feet in time to see Alice and Paul vanish. Hot on their heels, the Cyclobots also vanished.

"Did..." JJ began, clearly having seen the same impossible thing that Taylor had seen. "That did just happen?"

"It did," Taylor replied grimly.

Now that they were alone, she and the three other remaining members of the patrol came out from behind their respective areas of cover to inspect the mirrors. To Taylor's eyes they looked like every other full-size mirror she'd ever seen. She moved to step into the circle, only to be grabbed by Shawn, just as a pair of translucent, glassy hands stretched forth from the nearest mirror, clearly trying to grab her.

"OK, that's twice," she murmured, glancing at Shawn a little nonplussed. "How did you know?" Shawn just shrugged. Louder, Taylor said, "Stay out of the circle -- don't want anyone else pulling a Lewis Carroll."

"But we've got to go after them," said Lexia with a firmness that belied her earlier nervousness.

Taylor blinked. For a brief second, it could have been Jen standing there. "And we will -- but ever heard the phrase 'look before you leap'?"

"Sure." Lexia took an exaggerated look around at the warehouse. "I've looked..."

"Cadet Collins, wait!" Taylor commanded, freezing Lexia to the spot. _A little **too** like Jen._ Dismissing that thought, Taylor continued, "What makes you think it should be you?"

"Because I've worked out what this set up is," Lexia answered.

"Which is?" prompted Taylor.

"Mirracon," said Lexia.

"Frax's insurance policy," supplied Shawn.

Taylor's gaze swivelled back to Shawn. "You and I are going to definitely be talking later." Shawn sighed. Taylor switched her attention back to Lexia. "Is that right?"

Lexia nodded. "That's why it has to be me."

Taylor frowned. "Why?"

"Because the Cyclobots are coming back," said Lexia, "and you're going to need people who can fight better than I can here."

Taylor opened her mouth to debate that point.

"They're coming!" Shawn warned.

Taylor groaned. "Go for it, Lexia." _And God help me if you get hurt..._

* * *

__

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Mirracon

Mirracon

Lexia swallowed heavily, trying to persuade a sudden feeling of nausea to abate. As Alice and Paul had vanished, she'd finally pinned down the memory of what this setup was.

"Did..." JJ began, disbelief evident in his voice. "That did just happen?"

"It did." Taylor's answer was grim.

Now that they were alone, she and the three other remaining members of the patrol came out from behind their respective areas of cover to inspect the mirrors. Lexia opened her mouth to warn the rest of the patrol not to step into the circle just as Taylor moved to do just that. 

"Don't!" But the warning died on Lexia's lips as Shawn grabbed Taylor and stopped her, just as a pair of translucent, glassy hands stretched forth from the nearest mirror, clearly trying to grab her.

"Lex?" JJ looked concerned. "You OK?"

Lexia nodded automatically. "'M fine."

JJ wasn't to be put off. "You don't look fine."

"Stay out of the circle -- don't want anyone else pulling a Lewis Carroll," Taylor ordered.

"We've got to go after them," said Lexia, hoping that she didn't sound as desperate as she felt.

Taylor looked mildly stunned. "And we will -- but ever heard the phrase 'look before you leap'?"

"Sure." Lexia took an exaggerated look around at the warehouse and made a move to step forwards. "I've looked..."

JJ choked. "Lex -- what're you doing?!" he hissed.

"Cadet Collins, wait!" Taylor commanded. In spite of herself, Lexia froze. "What makes you think it should be you?"

"Because I've worked out what this setup is," Lexia answered.

"Which is?" prompted Taylor.

"Mirracon," said Lexia.

"Frax's insurance policy," supplied Shawn.

Somehow, Lexia wasn't surprised that he knew. The grouchy Guardian had definitely known a split second before the Cyclobots' arrival that something was going to happen. More to the point, he also knew not to step into the circle. 

"Is that right?" Taylor queried.

Lexia nodded. "That's why it has to be me."

Taylor frowned. "Why?"

"Because the Cyclobots are coming back," said Lexia, "and you're going to need people who can fight better than I can here."

Taylor opened her mouth to say something in reply but Shawn got in first with another warning: "They're coming!"

Taylor groaned. "Go for it, Lexia."

"Want me to come with?" JJ asked.

Lexia started to answer with a negative, but the Cyclobots had already started to re-materialise. "C'mon." She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the circle.

JJ made a stunned 'eep' sound. Then made another as translucent hands reached out from the nearest mirror and grabbed him. Lexia didn't have a chance to worry about him as a second pair of hands snagged hold of her and she found herself being yanked off her feet and pulled towards the mirror, then through it.

It was like suddenly being immersed in liquid. It was cloying and sticky and suffocating. She couldn't breathe. She wanted to scream. Then everything faded to a merciful black.

~*~

Pink.

That was Lexia's first thought as she came round.

Wherever this place was, it was very, very pink. She had landed on pink earth. Looking up, she could see a sky that seemed to be almost fuchsia coloured. There was a stand of trees nearby whose trunks were a dark magenta colour while their leaves tended from the same colour to a pink so pale as to almost be white. The effect was unsettling to say the least.

"Really not a fan of this colour," muttered a voice nearby.

Lexia looked to see JJ shaking his head and blinking a little bit. "Me either, she agreed.

She slowly clambered to her feet and took another look around. More pink. Pink rocks, pink grass, pink plants... The sound of a cheerful whistling caught her ear. Looking back at the stand of trees, her eyes fell on a small songbird of some description whose plumage seemed to be every single shade of pink under the (pink) sun -- even its eyes, beak and feet were pink.

Lexia slowly shook her head. "This is not my idea of a good time."

"So where are we?" JJ asked, getting to his feet.

"Mirracon's world," Lexia answered, taking another look around.

"Which means?"

Lexia offered him a slightly sheepish smile. "That part I don't know -- just know that Alice is here somewhere and we have to find her."

Another look around at her surroundings yielded a path -- pink bricks, naturally -- that seemed to start about a yard away from where she was standing.

JJ lifted his eyebrows. "I thought it was supposed to be the yellow brick road, not the 'so-pink-to-almost-be-neon' brick road," he observed.

Lexia offered a wry look. "Any better ideas?"

"Nope."

They started down the path.

If either of them had been hoping that the colour scenery might change as they walked, Lexia quickly realised they were doomed to be disappointed. The shade changed, from delicate rose to salmon, to a rich magenta, to the eye-hurting, day-glow pink of the bricks she was walking along, but it was still, at the end of the day, a completely pink landscape.

"Y'know," JJ commented, "This actually looks kinda like the East Hills Nature Reserve."

"Yeah," Lexia grinned, "if you covered East Hills in pink paint, sure."

JJ chuckled. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah." 

They walked on in silence for a few yards more. Lexia noted that the path now started to twist and wind its way up a slope -- a pink hill, just what she always wanted to climb. 

"You knew the set up," JJ observed.

Lexia sighed. "Kind of." She didn't need to look in his direction to know he was looking confused. "It's complicated."

"And I don't think time is something we're exactly short on here," JJ returned.

"True. Hey, y'know Dante could have gotten a whole new ring of hell out of this place."

"Don't try and change the subject," JJ answered, sounding faintly hurt. "I'm here with you. I just want to know what's going on."

"Sorry. It's..." Lexia glanced at JJ. "It's hard to explain." She turned her attention back to the path. "You know I'm one of the Vengeance Rangers?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well...I've only been a Ranger for a month."

"Uh-huh." JJ nodded slowly. "And before that, you were...what? An ordinary high school senior?"

"Second grader." JJ made a weird noise. Half groan half yelp. "What?" she asked, puzzled.

"JJ Haynes hits a new all time low in the dating game," JJ replied. "I'm wanting to ask out a seven year old."

Lexia blushed at the frank admission. "If it's any help to you, I'm not seven any more."

She felt him turn an assessing gaze on her. "I can see that."

Lexia's blush deepened and there were a few awkward moments of silence between them. In that time the path went from a gentle slope to a near vertical climb and both suddenly found they needed their breath for the climb. Finally, they reached the crest of the hill.

"I don't believe this..." JJ mumbled.

Lexia looked around in shock and mounting annoyance.

They'd ended up exactly where they'd started.

There was the stand of trees -- and if she'd been in any doubt as to whether or not it was the same one, she recalled that the foremost tree in the stand had a forked branch at about the height of her head with a little knothole just beneath it. That had been where the songbird had been perching... **Was** perching.

And there was the flattened grass where she'd initially landed.

And the start of the path.

"You have **got** to be kidding me here!" Lexia yelled crossly. "Who designed this place? M. C. Escher and Martha Stewart's lovechild?"

There was a slightly sinister sounding laugh from directly behind her. "That would be me."

Lexia spun around and found herself facing a grey coloured, humanoid shaped being. His body was shaped in an approximation of a muscular human, but where a human body would be rounded, his was flattened, giving the impression that his body wasn't made of flesh but rock. On top of that, his head was small -- tiny in fact -- with almost absurdly large eyes. A second glance revealed that his eyes were just being magnified by a pair of outlandish, gold-rimmed goggles.

"Who the hell are you?" JJ asked.

"Mirracon, I presume," said Lexia coldly.

The being smiled. "I do believe I'm known."

"What do you want?"

Mirracon laughed that sinister snicker. "You know what I want and you two aren't him." He snickered again. "But no matter. You'll do well as a nice diversion while I await the real...player of this game." 

"Why wait?" she shot back. "We're here -- and we'll beat you, you oversized Garden Gnome!" 

"Ooh -- I'm just quaking in my boots," Mirracon drawled, waving his hands in a mock surrender gesture.

Lexia growled. "Pissing me off is a bad idea."

"Oooh -- what're you going to do, girlie? Throw a hissy fit?" Mirracon laughed. "I'm sooo scared. Not!"

"You know, you should be," JJ offered. It's a bad idea to piss of an explosives expert."

"Name your challenge," Lexia snarled, ignoring JJ's comment.

Still snickering, Mirracon waved his hands in an expansive gesture. "The challenge is simple. Your friend is trapped at the centre of my maze. If you can get to her and free her before my timer runs out, you win."

Lexia glanced over her shoulder at where the stand of trees had been. In its place was a large, imposing wall of pink stone that presumably marked the boundary of the maze.

"That's not so hard," snorted JJ.

Mirracon laughed again. "By the time I'm through with you, you'll have a whole new definition of 'hard'. You have until the sands run out." So saying, he produced a giant hourglass and turned it over, starting a steady trickle of pink sand from top to bottom. "Sayonara!"

And before Lexia's amazed gaze, Mirracon vanished.

"What the hell have we just gotten into?" Lexia wondered.

"Damn good question," JJ replied. She felt him turn another assessing gaze on her. "And what do you know about what's going on?"

Without answering the question, Lexia turned and headed towards the wall. If this was a maze, there had to be some way into it. _I am not climbing a ten-foot wall if I don't have to._ She frowned. The section of wall she was now stood in front of was completely blank. "What do you reckon? Left or right?"

"Left," JJ recommended. "And stop avoiding the subject -- you're leaving me in the dark again."

Lexia glanced over her shoulder at him. "And you think I'm not?" she answered. "I don't know what's going on. I don't understand what's happening or why it's happening."

"And yet you do know something," JJ said.

"C'mon -- we have a time limit," Lexia replied, heading left.

"You can't just shut me out of this -- I'm **here**, in case you hadn't noticed."

Slowly, Lexia turned to face JJ, who hadn't moved. "I know you're here. I know that I need to explain. I know that right now you're not sure what's weirding you out more, the fact that this place is like it is or the fact that six weeks ago I was a seven year old girl who had to fight her older brother to claim sole possession of her Barbie dolls. But this isn't something I can explain in words of one syllable or less. **I** don't get it. It's like I'm looking at a page in a book and every second word's been erased. Things happen and another couple of words appear but..."

She found herself being cut off by a pair of strong arms as they wrapped themselves around her in a hug.

"I'm sorry," JJ murmured, his voice almost rumbling in her ear.

Lexia shivered. It felt nice to be held like this. For a brief moment, the whole mess of confusion, half remembered information, fear and dread vanished in a feeling of safety and security, at least for a little while.

All too soon, JJ released her from the hug and stepped back. "You OK?" he asked gently.

Lexia sighed. "Yeah -- just...this is all...a mess. A huge great big mess. Alice is stuck in the middle of a maze we don't know how to get into...and if we don't find her, we get stuck here too."

"What about Paul?" JJ asked. "He must be here too."

"If it was the real Paul, he'll be here and we'll find him too," Lexia replied.

"The real Paul?"

"As opposed to a fake one."

"I guessed **that**," said JJ dryly. "Tell you what, how 'bout you explain while we look for the way into this place?"

"Anxiety's catching, huh?"

JJ shrugged, smiling a little wryly. "Something like that."

Lexia smiled back. By a common consent, they started to head to the left in search of the entry to the maze. Barely a couple of yards further round, though, they found the entrance: A pair of ten-foot high, old fashioned looking gates.

Lexia looked at the tall, wrought iron-and-wood gates. Imposing was the term that immediately sprang to mind. For a wonder -- given everything else in this world -- they weren't actually pink but a dull rust colour. 

"Is it me," JJ asked, "or do those look more revolting because they're **not** pink?"

"It's not just you," Lexia agreed. "Don't tell me we've got **used** to the colour scheme!"

"OK, I won't." JJ frowned. "I also won't tell you that there don't seem to be any handles or anything to get them to open."

"It's very rude to stare!"

Lexia jumped.

Looking round, she half expected to see Mirracon again, but of the grey mutant there was no sign. Nor, unfortunately, was there sign of anyone else. 

"Did you hear that?" JJ asked.

"Yep." Lexia sighed. "And we can't **both** be hearing things."

"Not very bright, are they?" observed a second voice. This one was British accented and sneering.

Lexia slowly swung her attention back to the gates -- which seemed to be where the second voice, at least, was coming from. For the first time, she spotted that atop either gatepost was sat a stone gargoyle. Naturally, both ornaments were carved from pink coloured stone -- the actual tone being a dirty, faded pink, rather than the vibrant colour of the path bricks. Both had been carved crouching with elbows out for balance, so that they both appeared to be all sharp angles. Predators waiting to prey on the unwary.

"I said, it's very rude to stare!" First voice again, harsh and uncomplimentary.

What was more disconcerting was the fact that Lexia actually saw the left hand gargoyle's stone mouth move to make the words. She blinked and elbowed JJ. Couldn't be...

"You can see the thought process -- it really is quite painful."

There was no arguing with what her eyes were showing her. The right hand gargoyle was talking.

"You talk?" said JJ, bemused.

Lexia had to stifle a giggle as the gargoyles exchanged haughty looks.

"Of course we talk," said Left.

"Why wouldn't we talk?" asked Right.

"It...um..." JJ shook his head. "Never mind."

"Oooh -- decisive," snarked Right, his British accent lending itself to underlining the sarcasm.

"I hope you're not aiming to set anyone free this side of hell freezing over," said Left.

Lexia opened her mouth to reply.

"They're in for a long wait," said Right.

"Long like eternity," finished Left.

"Sure -- if we have to listen to you two all day," Lexia shot back. "And who died and put you in charge anyway?"

Neither gargoyle had a response to that.

Lexia glared at them. "We have a job to do. How do we get into this maze?"

"Feisty," observed Left.

"Not too bright," agreed Right, "but definitely feisty."

JJ opened his mouth to complain. Lexia just shook her head -- it wasn't worth rising to their bait.

Both gargoyles all but pouted at her for spoiling their fun and then intoned: "Knock, and the doors will open."

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," JJ murmured, shaking his head. 

"What, stupider than a completely pink world?" Lexia asked. "Stupider than talking to two pink stone gargoyles?"

"Good point."

Lexia stepped forward and gave the timbers of the gates a firm rap with her knuckles. There was a moment's pause, then there was a rattle and a groan and a shriek from hinges obviously stiff from lack of use and slowly, but surely, the gates started to swing outwards. Hastily, Lexia skipped back a couple of paces to avoid being hit.

"Well, whaddya know," JJ murmured.

"See?" said Left smugly.

Lexia gave him a jaundiced glare.

"But what do we know?" queried Right, rolling his eyes heavenwards. "We're just the gateposts."

With a slam, the gates finished opening. Lexia and JJ stepped forwards into the maze. As an after thought, just as she crossed the threshold, she glanced up at the two gargoyles.

"Thanks," she said. "I think."

"You'd better have your wits about you," Left warned as she started down the first path -- the one that led off to the left.

"Both of you," added Right. "We see a lot of people go into this maze."

"But we've yet to see anyone come out," finished Left.

"Now they tell us," JJ murmured.

Lexia glanced at him. "Well, there's always a first time. Besides," she added wryly. "What choice do we have?"

* * *

__

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Missing

_With extremely grateful thanks to my brother for supplying me with the names of assorted boxers for the opening scene._

* * *

Missing

Eric had spent the greater part of his adult life in situations where an ability to retain a clear thought process was a definite boon. It was, generally, an ability he possessed in spades and it had, unquestionably, saved his life more than once. Unfortunately, it was currently eluding him.

All John had said to him was that Paul Jones was in reception. No clue that the Paul Jones standing in reception was going to look as if he'd gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones all at once and then, for good measure, had taken a header down at least four flights of stairs. And Eric couldn't help but remember that Paul had been a member of Taylor's patrol that had gone to investigate the Northland Collective site...along with Alice and Lexia. The thought 'if Paul looks like this, what does the rest of the patrol look like' kept pounding through his mind to the point where it was all he could do was say,

"Paul -- this way."

Paul looked grateful to be leaving reception. "I'm sorry, sir..." he began, sheepishly.

"What for?"

"They captured me."

Eric stopped in the middle of the hallway. For a second, he couldn't take in that trio of words. When he finally managed it, the implications hit him like a tonne of bricks. Hoping against hope that he was just leaping to conclusions, he said, "When?"

Paul looked even more sheepish. "Four weeks ago...at Cranston Plaza. I only managed to escape this morning."

~*~

The second the men's room door swung shut behind him, John rolled up his left sleeve to uncover his morpher. The device had been designed to look like a diver's watch -- even to the point where it did actually display the time. The design meant that the Vengeance Rangers were more able to wear their morphers in public, although ostensibly -- and as far as Chief of Police Mackenzie was concerned -- their morphers were kept in the same secure storage as the chrono-morphers and quantum morpher.

John smirked faintly as he pushed the button that would teleport him from the SGHQ to the Northland Collective site. _Thank God Mackenzie is on Dad's shit list..._The men's room vanished from view to be replaced by a series of full-length mirrors circled around him. The sounds of a fight filled his ears, but he barely had a chance to register that before hands grasped at him.

Looking down, John saw translucent hands clinging to his waist. _What the...?!_ Then he found himself being hauled backwards. He realised that he was going to be pulled into the mirror, and prepared for that impact only to feel the viscous sensation of being dragged, backwards, through some sort of membrane and into some kind of liquid. He fought against it but the force pulling him was too strong.

There was time for him to recognise that this had **not** been one of his better moves and then everything went black.

~*~

_Breathe,_ Eric reminded himself. _It's not as bad as you're thinking. **Trust.**_

He looked at Paul, taking in the depth and amount of bruising on the other man's face and the careful way he was standing. That, more than anything, brought common sense and clear thought back to Eric for the first time in ten minutes. A plan started to form.

"It's OK, Paul. It happens to the best of us."

"Sir." Paul didn't look or sound any less sheepish.

Eric sighed. Time to deal with that later. He started leading Paul in the direction of the med-centre. "Is there anything else I need to know about your captors?"

"They've got a lot of those robots." Paul paused. Eric glanced at him and saw him frowning. "Come to think of it, sir, I don't think I saw anyone who wasn't a wachama..."

"Cyclobot," Eric supplied. "No humans at all?"

"No."

That started the wheels turning in Eric's mind. It sounded like this might be some sort of back-up plan on Frax's part, which almost certainly meant the Northland Collective site was a trap -- and a trap liable to be swarming with Cyclobots. Which meant that time was of the essence. The nucleus of a rescue plan formed as they reached the door of the med-centre.

"Sir?" Paul looked a little startled at their destination.

"You," said Eric, "need to get patched up." Paul looked less than thrilled by the idea of spending time in close proximity to Jackson. "Meantime, I need to do something about the metal heads."

~*~

Duck. Avoid. Dodge. Kick. Punch. Repeat.

It was both monotonous and exhausting. Taylor felt as if she was moving through treacle. About the only good thing about this fight having moved from blasters to hand-to-hand was the lack of space. There were so many Cyclobots trying to hit only two targets.

A thought blossomed at the back of her mind despite her better efforts. She wasn't going to be getting out of this...

~*~

Eric headed briskly back towards reception. A quick radio conversation with Control had confirmed that they hadn't heard anything from Taylor since she'd left base. Not necessarily anything to worry about, in fact under any other circumstances, Eric wouldn't be worried. At his insistence, Control attempted to call up Taylor on the comm. network, only to be blasted by interference. That was proof enough for Eric.

The plan was simple. The four SG rangers present -- himself, Wes, Rick and John -- would head straight for the Northland Collective site. Following on behind -- subject to a comm. report -- would be Ben and a squad of SGs. If necessary, Kimberly would be included in that squad. Between them, any and every Cyclobot on site would be dealt with. Simple.

Control had paged Wes and Ben. Wes would collect the quantum morpher and his own chrono-morpher from safe storage and collect Rick from his PT session, while Ben would put together the SG team, leaving Eric to collect John from reception and speak to Kimberly.

_John, you wanted to be an active Guardian, now's your chance,_ Eric mused as he reached the reception area. His eyes fell on the reception desk and he frowned.

"Gina -- where's John?" Eric asked, unable to prevent his mind from leaping to conclusions. It was probably nothing...

"He went to the men's room," Gina answered, frowning herself. "But now you mention it..."

Eric's heart sank. "Gina, what was he working on when Paul Jones came in?" _Please let me be wrong..._

Gina craned her neck to peer at the computer terminal John had been using. "It looks like today's assignment lists."

Worry and anger vied for dominance in Eric's mind. "I hate it when I'm right."

"Sir?" Gina asked.

Eric headed for the door, unclipping his cell phone to call Kimberly. So much for keeping her out of things unless she was absolutely necessary... "Gina," he called over his shoulder, "you reckon I did some dumb stuff. I think my son about has me beat." Looked like anger was winning.

"As I recall," Gina answered, "anything you did, you did for the right reasons. Looks like it runs in the family."

~*~

Kimberly stood in the shade of the porch, watching and waiting for the black SUV to pull up. A part of her mind was surprised that Eric had called her for this, knowing his basic reservations about her holding a morpher. The greater part of her mind was occupied with worrying over the safety of her two children. That Alice had found herself a part of the patrol that was probably about to be -- or was being -- ambushed came as no real surprise. The words Alice and trouble went hand in hand and always had done. As for John...

_Like father, like son._ Kimberly shook her head as the SUV pulled up. _I just hope he's good as he thinks he is...and I hope he's as good as his father when it comes to coming out of situations..._

"OK?" Eric asked from the driver's seat as she climbed into the vehicle.

"Peachy," she replied, a little sarcasm in her voice.

"Right. Silly question." Eric put the SUV back into gear and they were on their way.

~*~

Shawn knew this was hopeless.

The number of robots in the warehouse was continuing to increase, and while the close quarters were helpful to his and Taylor's continued existence, they were hardly **that** helpful. Sooner or later, exhaustion was going to hit them and that would be that.

But he was damned if he was going to give up. Damned if he was giving the bots and their master that satisfaction. It was coming back to him now -- what they had done to him. The hurt and anger and humiliation gave him fresh energy.

He might be going down but he was going to take as many Cyclobots with him as he could.

~*~

Being surrounded by Cyclobots and fighting, not just for his own life but for the lives of those depending on him, brought back a host of memories for Wes. The closeness of the battle, in particular, reminded him of the battle of the clock tower. That had been the first time he and Eric had truly fought side by side.

First but not last.

Not last by a long streak.

Wes ducked a blow intended to separate his head from his shoulders -- morphed or not -- and twisted into a super kick that **did** separate robotic head from shoulders. The loose head flew into the centre of the circle of mirrors that he had been peripherally aware of.

Given that the Cyclobots hadn't been standing inside it when they'd arrived, none of the rescue party had yet to set foot within its confines. As Wes saw the Cyclobot's head be literally pulled into one of the mirrors, vanishing completely, he decided that none of the rescue party **would** be setting foot within its confines.

Over the comm. he heard Kimberly whistle. "Didja see that?"

"I saw it," Eric answered.

"Creepy," Rick offered.

Wes had to smile at his son's response. In the SUV he'd looked nervous at being included in this mission, but now, here in the heat of battle with no time think about it, he sounded as confident as if this was his hundredth mission rather than his first.

"No-one goes near that circle," Eric warned.

"Easier...said than done," Wes responded, his moment's wool gathering costing him a bruise as a Cyclobot took advantage. The blow sent him reeling towards the circle, although he caught his balance before he could actually cut the boundary.

"Not if you concentrate."

_Yes, sir, mister commander sir,_ Wes thought, a wry grin on his face. 

A Cyclobot grabbed him and Wes found himself in the centre of a knot of the bronze machines. Barely had he taken in that fact than a bot was lunging towards him. Wes sidestepped the move. As the robot stumbled passed him, he donkey-kicked it on the rump, sending it into the arms of the robot that had been immediately behind him.

As he moved to straighten from the kick he felt metal hands grasping his ankle. Wes smiled faintly. Same moves, same response. He jumped, kicking the robot that had tried to take him down. The Cyclobot fell backwards, automatically releasing Wes' ankle as it frantically tried to avoid entering the mirror circle. As Wes landed, he was aware of the unfortunate bot vanishing.

_Ooops..._

"I've found Ta...Commander Earhardt and one other member of the patrol," Rick announced, pulling some of Wes' attention away from his attackers and to the comm. chatter.

"No sign of anyone else, though," Kimberly contributed, her voice betraying an understandable degree of fear.

Wes refused to think about the implications of that statement. Time enough for that when the robots were dealt with. 

As he punched the nearest Cyclobot Eric said, "Rick -- get them outta here and back to SGHQ, and you can tell Taylor that's a direct order from me if she asks."

That meant they were still having communication difficulties. The Rangers' comm. frequency was unaffected, but from the moment they'd arrived on the Northland Collective site communication with SGHQ or anyone else using the standard frequencies had been rendered impossible. Whatever or whoever was doing the jamming was making a very good job of it.

"Understood, sir."

Wes dropped into a leg sweep, taking out four more of the surrounding robots, aware of the haze of teleportation sparkles that signalled Rick's departure, with Taylor and whoever else it was with her. _That's stage one,_ Wes mused as another Cyclobot fell into the mirror circle and vanished, _now to clean house._

~*~

John gave a groan as he woke up. That had been one seriously weird dream he'd been having -- about teleporting into the middle of a battle and then being dragged **through** a mirror by a pair of translucent hands.

It slowly penetrated his mind that he wasn't lying in bed.

He was lying, sprawled on something hard and cold and...he opened his eyes, something very, very pink.

_Oh shit. Not a dream._

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

John frowned. It sounded like a laugh, but not a real laugh, the sort of fake laughter you got on badly dubbed foreign films. People didn't really laugh like that, did they? He couldn't see the source of the noise, though -- which made it seem even stranger.

"We got you now!"

The words were accompanied by a chorus of the strange laughter. Looking round wildly, John still couldn't find the source.

Then something bit him. Hard. On the rear. He yelped.

"Hey! Cut that out!"

But his complaint was only met with more of the laughter and a second something nipped at his elbow.

"Yeouch!"

He scrambled to his feet, accompanied by more laughter. With a savage chomping sound, something bit his calf hard enough that he felt razor sharp teeth actually tearing his flesh this time. Reacting on instinct, he kicked out at roughly where he thought his attacker was and was rewarded with the sound of a metallic clang as he connected, solidly.

There was a rippling effect and a three-foot high creature, dressed in outlandish armour, suddenly materialised. It had one hand pressed against its snout while the other hand still gripped a wooden pole with some sort of lizard-like critter on the other end. From the shreds of material on the critter's fangs, **that** was what had been biting him.

"That wasn't very nice!" exclaimed the voice, which clearly **didn't** belong to the creature John had kicked.

"Nor's having your little..." But fangs sang into his bicep before he could finish.

Yelping again as more blood was drawn, John reached for where he thought the critter's pole was, made contact and tugged, tearing the critter from his arm and turning a second creature visible. This one had topped his armour off with a long snouted helmet and from its pose it was very angry.

"That was a big mistake," it snarled, sounding for all the world like a James Bond villain.

Almost as if cued, four more of the creatures rippled into sight, surrounding them. All of them dressed in variations of the armour. All of them holding critter pikes.

"Oh. Crap."

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	7. Hopeless?

Hopeless

_For a supposedly difficult maze,_ JJ mused, _the going sure isn't tough._ He and Lexia had been walking for about a mile so far. And so far, all the path had done was twist and turn. There had been no intersections or other paths leading from the one they were on -- just blank walls either side. In fact, the hardest thing they'd come across so far was the amount of assorted debris -- tree branches, loose masonry and the like -- that littered the path.

"So what did you mean by 'the real Paul'?" he asked, suddenly breaking the silence that had existed between them since leaving the gateposts behind.

Lexia started. She'd obviously been lost in her own thoughts. "Huh?" JJ repeated his question. "Oh, that."

"Yes, that." JJ grinned a little. "You said it, you meant something by it."

Lexia sighed. "How well do you know Paul?"

JJ shrugged. "If you're asking do I think stunning and kidnapping one of his own team-mates is a thing he'd normally do, answer's no."

"There you go."

"No, there you don't go," JJ responded. "There's other things -- he could be brainwashed or..."

"True. And knowing Frax, not impossible." Lexia waved a hand at herself. "As I know from personal experience."

"Right," JJ agreed. "But you still think it was some sort of clone."

"I don't know **what** I think, to be honest." She sighed again. "I don't know if it's something I'm half remembering or if it's just a vibe I'm picking up on."

JJ nodded. "Guess we'll find out when we beat this thing." Looking around, he added, "Speaking of which, is it me, or is this really not much of a maze?"

Almost as if to prove him wrong, they rounded the next corner and found themselves in a courtyard, which seemed to be the meeting point for six different paths.

"Spoke too soon, there, JJ," Lexia observed. "Guess this **is** a maze after all."

"A-mazing," JJ retorted.

Lexia groaned. "I just have to find myself stuck in Pink Hell with a guy who thinks he's funny."

"Whaddya mean **think**?" JJ asked. "I **know** I'm funny."

"Funny like toothache," Lexia retorted, smiling all the same. "So which path do we choose?"

"How about," growled a voice, "none of them!"

~*~

John gazed around at the six creatures. The one he'd kicked had ceased rubbing its snout. All six of them looked angry. The five who still had their critter pikes, angled the snapping critters in towards him. He gripped the stolen pike in both hands.

While the six creatures were hardly a threat to him, the five critters most definitely were -- as his now throbbing calf and bicep bore witness to. Standing and fighting wasn't an option, which just left him one option...one that his pride rebelled against: Running.

Then the decision was taken out of his hands as the five, armed creatures all attempted to rush him. Instinct took over from ego. Heedless of the keening wail of the unfortunate critter on the end of his stolen pike, he moved to block the incoming blows. Wood clashed jarringly against wood as he managed to successfully deflect three of the five pikes. The other two, both aimed from behind him, connected with his upper-back and shoulders. He felt sharp critter-teeth against his flesh but against the flat of his shoulder blades, they could do little but scratch. Their jaws weren't wide enough to take a serious bite out of their target. More, even as they connected, he was already moving forwards, so the impact of the blows was lessened.

"Now we have you!" screamed the weaponless creature.

"And now you don't," John retorted, dropping the pike and diving between two of the creatures circling him. He rolled to his feet and grabbed the noisy beast in a headlock in one smooth move.

Everyone froze.

"Now," said John. "Two things are going to happen here or this one gets his neck broken. Comprende?"

The creature he had in a headlock gave an unhappy gurgle. The other five nodded slowly.

"You five," John continued, "are gonna back right up against that wall." They hesitated. "I'm not kidding, I can snap his neck like a twig." For good measure, he tightened his grip on the creature.

"Do it, men!" it screamed, a real note of panic in its voice.

Slowly, the other five backed up against the far wall of what John now realised was some sort of courtyard.

John nodded. "Good. That's good. Now, me and this guy are gonna walk, real slow-like, out of this courtyard and you five are gonna stay there. I see anyone so much as sneeze..."

"They won't move," the creature in his grip assured him. Five, clanking headshakes agreed with the statement.

"Good. For your sake, that'd better be the truth."

John started to move crab-like across the courtyard, keeping the headlock firmly in place, heading towards the only visible exit from the courtyard. As he neared it he could see that the passage was long and straight. If he let the creature go, it wouldn't take it -- or its cohorts -- much to catch up with him, even allowing for their relative leg-lengths.

John frowned and eyed the height of the walls either side of the passage. They were taller than he was -- no surprise there; neither of his parents were exactly tall -- but they weren't high enough that if he got a little bit of a run he couldn't scramble over them. There was certainly no way any of the creatures would be able to follow him.

Decision made, John allowed himself a small smile. He reached the gateway into the walled passage. With considerable force, he pushed his hostage away, across the courtyard towards its cohorts, turned and started to run.

"He's getting away!" yelled the former hostage. "After him!"

Angling his run across the passage, John neared the wall and jumped just as the first creature reached the start of the passage. His fingers found purchase on the wall top. Desperation leant him additional strength and he managed to haul himself up onto the top of the wall.

"No!" howled the outraged creature.

"See ya!" John retorted, and dropped off the other side of the wall. 

~*~

"You don't understand," Shawn bit out. "I **need** to go back there. I need to talk to Commander Myers."

"Guardian Clingleffer," Jackson retorted, for once unsmiling, "you have a broken right ankle -- not to mention other injuries that you are refusing to let me diagnose. You are not fit for active duty and you are not leaving this medical centre, unless it is to attend hospital."

"Frankly, doc, I don't give a damn," Shawn shot back. "I have to go back."

"Doc," Taylor put in, "there are people missing. Shawn knows what's going on. That's information Commander Myers needs to know."

"And what about Guardian Clingleffer's long-term health?" Jackson spluttered.

"Screw my long term health," Shawn put in.

"No I will not," Jackson retorted. "I..."

Suddenly Jackson pitched forwards, landing insensate on the floor.

Shawn blinked. Rick, who was standing immediately behind where Jackson had been stood, shrugged a little, his expression a mix of sheepish and unrepentant. "A...My sister's one of the people missing." Shawn noted the knowing expression on Taylor's face and judged she, at least, knew what Rick's slip meant. "C'mon."

~*~

Lexia looked at JJ then looked into the courtyard. The voice was big and booming yet there was nothing to be seen.

"It's not those Gargoyles again is it?" JJ asked.

"Can't see them," Lexia replied.

"Oh for pity's sake!" exclaimed the voice, suddenly losing any hint of threat and simply sounding exasperated. "Down here!"

Duly directed, Lexia looked down...and had to bite her lip in an effort not to laugh. Standing knee high to her, was a creature that seemed to fit every cliché of a Leprechaun, even down to the green jacket, black breeches, red-and-white striped stockings and big buckled, black shoes. In fact, Lexia realised, all he was missing was the Lucky Charms style Irish accent.

"What the hell?" JJ asked.

"Now I have your attention," said the Leprechaun, suddenly dropping back into the deep, intimidating voice, "you shall not pass."

"Uh-huh," said Lexia. "Whatever you say, Lucky." Glancing at JJ she said, "C'mon."

"Could you at least **look** as if you're taking me seriously?" the Leprechaun asked, giving up on trying to be threatening.

"Sorry, but I've seen more frightening glasses of milk," JJ admitted.

"I can be scary!"

"Lucky..." Lexia began.

"James," interrupted the Leprechaun.

"What?" said Lexia.

"James -- it's my name," said the Leprechaun. "I'm not some cartoon who advertises a breakfast cereal."

"And just when I thought life couldn't get any weirder," JJ muttered.

"OK, James: I can step over you," Lexia explained. "You're **not** scary. Unless we're talking about your taste in fashion. That shade of red paired with that shade of green just does not work. Especially with your hair."

James' mouth hinged open. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"It's red," said JJ. "Bright red. Fit to give a carrot a serious case of envy-red. Even I, as a fashion-sense-less guy knows you don't mix that with red clothing."

"Oh." James looked crestfallen.

"C'mon," said Lexia, starting to head across the courtyard by stepping over James. "We need to get moving. I'm not sure how long Mirracon's timer runs for, but I'm betting we don't have **that** much time and..."

"I can help," put in James.

With a sigh, Lexia turned back to face him. "Excuse me?"

"I can help," said James. "You're trying to beat this maze, right?"

"Ye-es," JJ answered. "What about it?"

"Well, first, I'm fed up of no-one taking me seriously," said James. "If I can't scare anyone, what good is it me being here?"

"Comic relief?" JJ suggested sotto voce.

Lexia rolled her eyes. "So you've decided you're going to help us just because we didn't find you scary?"

James shot her with a glare. "Second, since I live here, I know my way around. So, I figure, I help you, you help me."

"And you want us to do exactly what?" Lexia asked.

"When you leave the maze, take me with you."

"Just what Silverhills needs," JJ murmured. "A real life Leprechaun."

"I suppose yer man here thinks he's funny," James observed.

"Does seem to," Lexia agreed.

"Hey!" objected JJ.

"I don't want to land up wherever it is you call home," James continued, ignoring JJ's exclamation, "I just want to go back to **my** home dimension. Unfortunately, unless someone actually takes me out of this maze, I'm stuck here. The second I set foot outside of this maze, I'm home free."

"You really know the way through this place?" Lexia asked.

"On my honour," James replied.

"JJ?" she said. "What do you think?"

"Well -- can't hurt to try," said JJ.

Lexia nodded. "OK -- James -- you've got a deal."

~*~

Some days, Kimberly reflected, it didn't pay to get out of bed. This was rapidly proving to be one of those. As the last Cyclobot was dealt with, by Jen, who had been a part of Ben's squad of Guardians who'd arrived as back up, Kimberly could already feel muscles complaining about abuse they hadn't taken in a very long time.

"You OK?" Eric asked via the internal comm. system.

"I will be." She issued the power-down command and the full ache of strained muscles set in. "Ow."

"You OK?" Ben asked.

"I will be," Kimberly repeated. _Putties weren't half so tough._

"So now what?" Wes asked as he powered down.

"Good question," Eric responded, likewise powering down.

Kimberly noted the wry expression on his face and knew what was coming next. Before he could say anything else, she said, "Don't even think it."

"Think what?" Ben enquired.

"He's got his 'I'm about to do something stupid' expression on," Kimberly replied.

"And you have a better idea?" Eric retorted, shaking his head.

"Actually, I do," said a new voice.

"Nice to see Eric's not got the monopoly on 'stupid' today," Ben muttered as his eyes fell on the speaker.

"Apparently not," Kimberly agreed.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Jackson passed me fit -- it's Shawn who isn't." And she waved a hand in the direction of the Guardian who was clearly only standing upright because he was leaning on both Taylor and Rick.

"And yet," said Eric dryly, "here he is."

"I think this might be a good point for an explanation," observed Wes.

"I know what's going on," Shawn answered.

There was an electric pause. Wes opened and shut his mouth a couple of times without saying anything. 

"He's got you there, Wes," said Eric, a smile faintly lighting his face. "It's an explanation all right."Turning to Shawn he added, "So...enlighten us."

~*~

On the other side of the wall, John found himself in something that resembled a maze. Tall, admittedly pink, hedges rose up to border paths that seemed to weave in and out and around in a confusing pattern. It didn't take long before he'd lost all sense of where the wall -- his starting point -- was.

_Gotta find my way out of this place,_ he mused as he picked the left hand fork of a junction. He followed it for a yard, around a bend, only to discover it was a cul-de-sac. With a grimace he retraced his steps...only to never actually find the original fork. 

_Huh?_

He came to another junction. Again he picked the left fork...and found himself back in the cul-de-sac.

"What the...?"

He turned around and retraced his steps. Again, he didn't find the original fork. When he reached the next junction, instead of taking the left fork, he turned right...

...And still found himself reaching a dead end.

"This is ridiculous!" he exclaimed, irritated. "How can I get out of this place if it keeps moving."

"You know, if I were you," said a voice.

"I'd be taking the hint," finished a second voice, this one scornful and British.

Slowly, John looked round and found himself confronted by two (pink) stone gargoyles. "Talking gargoyles?"

"Left," said the one on the right.

"And Right," said the English one on the left.

"At your service," they finished jointly.

John found himself chuckling. "Shouldn't you be sitting the other way around?"

Both gargoyles looked confused. "If we were sitting the other way around," mused Left.

"We'd have our backs to you," Right continued. "And that would be..."

"Very rude," Left concluded.

"No -- I meant..." John stopped. "On second thoughts, never mind."

"I see decisiveness is running rampant in the maze today," observed Left.

"He seems smarter than the other two though," Right mused.

"Other two?" John echoed. "And while we're at it, what is this place anyway?"

"The woman and the man," said Left. "Woman about your height, brunette. The man was a bit taller, but not as broad, and blonde."

"Both dressed like you," put in Right.

John blinked. The 'woman' sounded like Lexia. He didn't recognise the 'man', but if they were both dressed like him, that meant the man was another Silver Guardian. _He'd better be looking after Lexia or I'll kick his butt._

"As for where this is..." 

Before Left could finish his sentence, however, a bronze head suddenly plummeted onto the path, only narrowly avoiding hitting either of the gargoyles or John himself. As it bounced off the brick surface of the path and ultimately landed at the base of one strip of hedge, John realised it was the head of a Cyclobot.

Frowning, he followed his instinct and looked up.

"Run!"

~*~

Lexia was forced to swallow laughter as she listened to her two companions argue as they walked through the maze.

"Whaddya mean?" JJ was asking.

"What do you **think** I mean?" James retorted. "Those films are an affront to my kind. They're filled with slanderous lies. I mean **look** at me. Do I **look** like I'm going to go around killing people?"

"Well...no," JJ agreed.

"And," James continued, his rant working up steam, "do I look like I have a pot of gold? Even a small one? Are you kidding me? If I had any gold, you think I'd be dressed like this?!"

JJ slowly shook his head. "But...if they're so outta whack...where'd they come from?"

"You tell me," James sniffed. "Do I look like I'm a Hollywood script writer?"

JJ apparently had no answer.

"Anyway," James continued, "they completely lost the plot with Leprechaun in Dublin. That film was just a walking cliché."

"You've seen them **all**?" Lexia giggled.

"A guy's gotta get his laughs somewhere," James admitted, a little sheepishly.

"You hypocrite!" JJ exclaimed. "And you were the one who was complaining about us not finding you scary, too."

James shrugged. "You thought I knew what they were by what? Osmosis? Besides," he added bitterly, "why do you think Mirracon grabbed me in the first place?" 

"Mirracon grabbed you because of the Leprechaun movies?" Lexia queried, trying -- and failing -- to picture the grey mutant sitting down to watch trashy horror movies.

"More or less," James agreed. "It's another thing I hold against them." They reached a junction. "This way," he added.

There was no answer to that statement, so they walked on in silence for a few yards. Rounding a corner, they entered another courtyard area.

"Be careful..." James began as they entered. "I can't remember if this is the Werrat's lair or..."

But James' words died in an instant as JJ stepped into the courtyard and promptly vanished.

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	8. Help

Help

JJ found himself falling. One second, the paving was there beneath his feet, the next it just wasn't. He didn't even have time to so much as yelp. Then he hit something a little like a trap door and the next moment, he'd landed, heavily, on the stone floor of some sort of cell.

"JJ?" Lexia's voice drifted down to him, disembodied and worried.

He looked up and realised he'd fallen further than he'd thought. He could just about make out Lexia's face as she peered in through the hole above him. "'M OK," he called back. "Bit bruised." He shifted and started to get to his feet, and winced. _Make that very bruised._

"Can you see any way to get out?" Lexia asked.

JJ looked around, but wherever he was, it was dark. The only lighting came from the hole above -- and that barely did more than illuminate the spot he was standing on. "No -- can't see a thing."

Lexia's face withdrew. Then the muffled sounds of an argument drifted down to him. A moment later and James appeared beside him. JJ blinked.

"How'd you do that? I didn't see you jump."

"Magic." James snapped his fingers and a small light suddenly appeared, hovering half an inch or so above the point of the Leprechaun's hat. "How else did you think?"

JJ slowly shook his head. "Well if you can magic yourself down here, can you magic me back up there?"

James shook his head. "Nope -- sorry."

"So what are you doing down here?"

James cracked a grin. "I'd have thought that would be obvious. Even to you."

JJ bristled at that. "Lex?" he yelled...and got no response.

"She's continuing on," James explained. "We should be able to catch her up -- but first we need to get you out of this oubliette."

"So you're...what? Rescuing me?"

"See!" James' grin widened. "You **do** know what I'm doing!"

JJ clapped a hand across his eyes and groaned.

James ignored him and started to walk around the cell -- oubliette -- obviously looking for something. At certain points he stopped to knock on the stonewalls. JJ watched this performance for a few moments, then said,

"What're you doing?"

"Shsh!" James knocked at the section of wall again. Then a third time. "Got it!"

"Got what?"

"The way out."

JJ frowned. "That's solid wall."

James turned to face him. "That's what you think. Hmm." He frowned for a second then turned back to the wall. "Now if I were Mirracon where would I...Ah-hah!"

Increasingly mystified, JJ could only watch as James started to bounce up and down, clearly trying to reach something and failing dismally.

"You want some help?" JJ inquired.

James stopped bouncing and muttered something about 'no good, lousy tall people'. "Yes."

JJ waited. When it became clear James wasn't going to elaborate on what was needed, he asked, "OK -- so tell me what you want me to do."

James sighed. "You see the ledge there?" He waved a hand to a rock ledge about six feet off the floor. "There should be a knob -- like a door knob -- on it. I think."

JJ opened his mouth, intending to ask the obvious question. Then he closed his mouth and shook his head. He probably didn't want to know. Instead, he put his hand on the shelf and started to feel around for anything on it. Sure enough, he found a door knob-shaped object. Picking it up, he held it out to James.

"This it?"

James inspected it. "Perfect."

Before JJ could say a word, James took the knob and fitted it to the wall and then, to JJ's complete amazement, turned it and pulled as if he were opening a real door...

...and it opened, heralding a shower of janitorial supplies.

"Dang," muttered James. "Broom closet." He kicked the contents back into the closet and closed the door again before glancing over his shoulder at JJ. "Well, can't be right all the time."

"Er no," JJ replied shaking his head. "Guess not," he mumbled faintly.

James hummed to himself as he fitted the doorknob to the side of the 'door', twisting it, pulling and opening what now appeared to be a perfectly ordinary door. If you ignored the fact that it still looked like a section of rock face.

"Here we are," said James. "Follow me."

~*~

Not leaving the two gargoyles the chance to argue, John moved forwards, collecting a gargoyle with each arm.

"What are you doing?" yelped Left.

"You crazy idiot!" exclaimed Right. "Put me down."

"Put me down."

"Put us down this inst..." But their joint protests suddenly died as an almighty crash sounded from behind them.

John didn't need to look round to know the source. When he'd looked up he'd seen two complete cyclobots dropping towards him. The crash told him they'd now hit the path. Instead he looked up again, checking for more falling debris. There didn't seem to be any. He risked slowing down and releasing his hold on both gargoyles. They both staggered a step each and then collapsed.

"What was that?" Left finally managed ask.

John finally looked over his shoulder. "They were cyclobots."

"And now they're scrap metal," observed Right. "And we'd have been gravel."

There was a long, pregnant pause, then both gargoyles mumbled, "Thanks."

The word sounded more than somewhat strange coming from the haughty creatures. Strange enough that John found himself smiling. "You're welcome." He looked around and realised he was now standing at the entrance to a courtyard area. "So what is this place?"

"It's a maze," Right replied.

"Mirracon's maze," Left added.

John nodded slowly. "And how do I get outta here?"

~*~

Lexia knew James had been right.

Time was short and she did need to find Alice -- and Paul, if he was here -- so that they could all get out of here. She didn't know what Mirracon would do to her -- them -- if she failed, but she could work out it wasn't going to be something she enjoyed.

But, that knowledge didn't make her feel any less guilty for pushing on alone -- and for not doing more to help JJ. She smiled faintly as she rounded a corner. She had only known JJ for a short while but she now found herself missing his ready sense of humour. Walking through the maze alone was more than simply lonely. There was a very real sense that something might be preparing to leap out of the shadows and grab her.

A sense that was not improved by the final warning James had offered her as he'd vanished to rescue JJ: Watch out for the Werrat. Whatever the Werrat was.

~*~

Eric watched as Shawn fidgeted under the combined gaze of the entire Silver Guardians' senior staff. He was almost about to suggest they did this a different way when Shawn finally managed,

"This is Frax's backup plan." Not news, courtesy of Paul's arrival at the SGHQ but it was a start. "The mirrors are Mirracon's."

"Mirracon being...?" prompted Ben.

"Being a mutant whose primary skill is in illusion and magic," Jen answered. "Time Force arrested him and he was sent down for a bunch of felony charges. Either he's been let out early for good behaviour or Frax sprang him from jail before landing up here."

Shawn was nodding. "The former...I think...think I heard him and Frax...or someone joking about it."

"Which you would know because...?" inquired Wes.

Shawn's shoulders sagged and Eric put two and two together. "How long were you captive?" he asked gently.

Shawn looked surprised. "I...a week. Bit less. Only saw Frax the once, though."

"Another replicant?" Wes murmured.

"Probably," Eric answered, "otherwise we'd have known about this a heck of a lot sooner." To Shawn, he said, "Why didn't you say anything about this before?"

The question was still gentle, no hint of rebuke, but Shawn's head still ducked in embarrassment and shame. "They...he...did something to me. It...I don't know." Shawn hesitated for a few moments, then mumbled, "They made me forget...knew something had happened...didn't know what."

"But you know now?"

Shawn looked up again, still looking ashamed. "Sorta." He sighed and his shoulders drooped even more. "All this's brought it back. Bits of it."

"Enough that you know what's going on?" queried Jen, her voice also gentle. Shawn nodded. "What's Mirracon's plan?"

Looking more sure of himself for the subject shifting away from himself, Shawn replied, "He planned to trap people in his maze...hold them to ransom until someone took up his challenge."

"Someone?" echoed Wes. "He didn't have anyone particular in mind?"

"Not beyond it being a member of the SG high command," Shawn answered, shaking his head.

"I'm not paranoid but the man following me is," muttered Kimberly.

"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me," Jen shot back.

Eric ignored the comments. "So what do we do?"

"Nothing."

~*~

John's question hung on the air for several seconds. The two gargoyles shifted a little nervously.

"Um..." began Left.

"You can't," said Right.

"I can't?" John repeated. "You mean I'm stuck here?"

"Not exactly," Left answered.

"So...what, then?"

"You need to find the others," Right replied. "The woman and the man. They'll be able to get you out."

"If not...you will be stuck here," Left put in.

Panic bubbled up at the back of John's mind. He tried to force it back. "So how do I find Lexia?"

The two gargoyles exchanged looks. 

"We don't know," Right admitted.

"They could be anywhere in this place," Left explained. "All we can tell you..."

"...is where they're heading for," Right finished.

"Better than nothing," John replied. "Where're they heading?"

"The centre of the maze -- they have a friend trapped here," said Right. 

"Do you know the way there?" John asked.

Both gargoyles shook their heads. "Just that it's in that direction," said Left, jerking a thumb in the direction John had been travelling in.

~*~

JJ followed James along the passage.

"This is not the way!"

JJ's head snapped round at the words. His eyes fell on a face carved into the rock. He wanted to say it was ridiculous; that the words couldn't have possibly come from a carving...except the carving blinked at him.

"Uh, James...?"

"Oh, pay it no mind," James replied, unconcerned. "It's just a false alarm."

"Oh no I'm not!" objected the carving.

"Turn back before it is too late," insisted a second voice, drawing JJ's gaze to another carving.

Series of carvings he realised.

"Are they all...?" JJ began.

"Yep," said James. "This maze is full of them. Particularly if you're on the right track."

"This is not the way," quavered a third voice.

"Oh **do** shut up," James retorted, speaking to the carvings. "I live here. I know I'm on the right track."

"Sorry," huffed a close-at-hand carving. "We're just doing our jobs."

"Well you don't have to do it to us," James replied.

"Oh, please?" begged a small, child-like carving. "I haven't gotten to say it in such a long time."

James glanced up at JJ. "Up to you," said the Leprechaun.

"I don't even need you to react...I just wanna say it!" continued the carving.

JJ shrugged. _When in the twilight zone, go with the flow._ "Sure."

"Oh, thank you!" The carving -- in so far as it could -- grinned. Then it cleared its throat and declaimed, "The path you are on will lead to your certain destruction!"

"Cheerful guy," murmured JJ.

"But helpful," said James. He gestured to something attached to the wall not far from the carving, who'd now apparently gone to sleep again.

"A ladder?"

"Well how else do you suppose we're going to get outta here?" James wanted to know.

"Good point."

"So -- after you," said James.

~*~

Rick cringed at Shawn's answer. Any second now, either his parents or Eric and Kimberly would...

"What I mean," Shawn added hastily, "is that JJ and Lexia have already done it."

Rick noted that gave all four parents pause.

"Pardon?" said Kimberly. "Who's JJ?"

"The sixth member of this patrol," Eric replied. "What I'm not clear on," he continued, "is what it is he's done."

Shawn shot Taylor a quick glance before answering, "Lexia seemed to know what was going on...or at least, she knew this setup."

"She volunteered to go after Paul and Alice," Taylor put in. "JJ volunteered to go with her."

"And you let them?!" exclaimed Jen.

"Lexia was going to go whatever I said," Taylor replied, resignation in her tone. Rick noted that his mother wasn't mollified in the slightest.

"Post mortems later," interjected Eric. "Shawn -- if Lexia and JJ have taken up Mirracon's challenge...what happens to anyone else who gets pulled into that place?"

Shawn shook his head. "I don't know -- but it can't be good. Mirracon was counting on at least one other member of SG high command getting sucked in."

Bile hit the back of Rick's throat. So far, no-one had mentioned John. He knew that Eric had been expecting to find John already here. When it had become clear he wasn't, Rick had figured his friend had got sucked through the mirrors somehow, which was not something Rick had been happy about. Now, though, he was even more worried. And to judge from the looks Eric and Kimberly were now exchanging, they had drawn the same conclusion.

"So what do we do?" Wes asked.

"Shawn?" Taylor prodded. "Is there anything we can do to help Lexia and JJ?"

Shawn shook his head. "Not that I know of."

~*~

John jogged along the path, hoping that he was going in the right direction. Given the maze's propensity for changing as he travelled, he wasn't holding out too much hope of that, but he had to at least try.

_I'm going to be in so much shit if I get out of this,_ he found himself thinking morosely. _So much for rescuing Lexia -- looks like she's gotta rescue me._ That was a humiliating realisation.

He reached a courtyard type area with four exits leading from it, three of them heading in more or less the direction he'd been travelling in so far. _Which to take?_

He stepped forwards, taking brief note of the presence of a tree in the centre of the courtyard, still debating the choice.

"Yehah!"

The strange whoop gave John pause. But before he could look for any signs of the noise maker, the world suddenly turned a cartwheel as he found himself being yanked off his feet and up into the air.

~*~

Lexia reached another courtyard and cautiously peered in. It seemed to be empty and there were no obvious signs of trapdoors. Of course, there had been no obvious signs of trapdoors or anyone else in either of the previous two courtyards -- and that had proved to be completely wrong. She sighed. _Can't go round it, so I have to go through it._

She entered the courtyard.

"Hur-hur. Oi do be smelling fresh meat."

The voice was a sort of slow, rolling, guttural sound -- almost like an audible earthquake. It suggested either the speaker was very big -- and the voice was coming from the bottom of its chest -- or extremely unintelligent. Lexia wasn't sure which to hope for as she looked round to find the source.

Then her eyes fell on the source. True enough, the creature was huge. Barrel chested, it had long, powerful arms and stood on equally powerful legs. Its head was vaguely rodent-shaped; with a longish, blunt snout and small, beady eyes either side of it, but Lexia had never seen a rodent with teeth like the ones this creature was baring at her.

"Oi do be the Werrat," it announced. "And you do be tresparsing in my domain. Do you know what that do make you?" Convulsively, Lexia shook her head. "Hur-hur. It do make you lunch!"

Lexia found herself frozen to the spot by that pronouncement. She could only watch, petrified, as the Werrat bore down on her.

"Banzai!"

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	9. Cracked

_Extremely grateful thanks to Justy for not only putting up with me, but also supplying me with a couple of pieces of crucial information..._

Cracked

Before Lexia could wonder at the battle cry, a compact form barrelled into the Werrat's stomach, driving the strange beast back a pace. 

"Who do you be? Oi do think you be an appetiser," the Werrat observed, moving to grab the compact form.

"Wrong, fuzzball," answered a voice. "You might wanna put the Leprechaun down."

"And why should Oi be wanting to do that?"

"Because," replied the Leprechaun, "I bite."

Despite the situation, Lexia was hard pushed to swallow the laughter that bubbled up at that response -- especially when she caught the amazed expression on the Werrat's face. Amazement that swiftly turned to anguish as 'The Leprechaun' (James, she realised) sank his teeth into the fleshy forearm holding him prisoner. The Werrat bellowed in pain and rage, dropping James instantly.

He rolled aside and a moment later blaster fire echoed through the courtyard. It took Lexia barely a moment to realise the voice had belonged to JJ, and only a moment more before she recalled he wasn't the only one with a blaster.

"You do be making me mad!" howled the Werrat. "Oi do be thinking..."

"That you talk too damn much," cut in Lexia, firing her blaster. "You wanted lunch? Well chew on that."

Her first shot took the beast in the throat while her second pierced its chest at roughly heart level.

The Werrat fell, its body hitting the ground with a wet gurgle. For a second, Lexia felt a sense of jubilation. She'd beaten it -- they'd beaten it. But hot on the heels of that feeling was the realisation that she'd actually killed a living, breathing being.

"Oh my God..."

Her stomach lurched and her knees gave out as the smell of charred flesh drifted from the Werrat's corpse. She collapsed to the paving and threw up.

"Hey, easy..." She was aware of a soothing hand stroking down her back, gently offering comfort. "It's OK."

For several moments, they held the tableau. As her stomach finally stopped heaving, JJ gently pulled her into his lap and just cradled her.

"You OK?" he asked.

"I...will be...I think," Lexia replied hesitantly.

"That the first time...?" JJ's question trailed off.

Humiliation surfaced as she finally regained control over her rebellious stomach. "Some tough Guardian I am," she muttered, pulling free of his embrace.

"Hey -- it's OK," JJ replied. "Death shouldn't be easy."

"Did you throw up the first time you killed someone?" Lexia retorted.

JJ shook his head. "Only because I didn't have a chance to think about it at the time. Later...later it definitely hit me. Someone found me puking my guts up in the men's locker room at SGHQ. Talk about embarrassing. They gave me a good piece of advice, though."

In spite of herself, Lexia found herself waiting to hear the advice.

"He told me that, in a light fight...like the one I'd been through...the guy I'd burned down would have burned me down in a heartbeat. Either I shot him, or he would have shot me -- or shot one of my team-mates. Same sitch here. The Werrat was gonna turn you into his next meal. You didn't have any choice. Him or you."

There was good sense in the words. Lexia knew there was. And yet... "It's not that simple."

"No," agreed James, joining the conversation for the first time, "nor should it be." 

At the lack of condemnation from either of her companions, Lexia found her embarrassment subsiding.

There was a lengthy pause, then James added, "We need to get moving again. We have one more yard to cross -- then we're there."

"Only one more?" JJ queried.

"Yep," James agreed. "The Fieries inhabit it. They're not dangerous," he mused thoughtfully, "but they do have a very strange sense of humour."

~*~

Eric grimaced at Shawn's pronouncement. He hated feeling helpless, particularly when it was members of his family in danger. There had to be something to be done...something useful...

"OK. Rick: Take Shawn back to SGHQ's med-centre so that he can get patched up, then get back here. As our resident comm. tech, we're going to need you to figure out whatever it is that's causing the jamming and get it fixed." 

"Yes, sir." 

Rick sounded reluctant. Coupled to the brief look of horror that flashed across the faces of both Rick and Shawn at the order, Eric was hard pushed not to smile. _I hate to think what they did to Jackson before he'd let Shawn go..._

As Rick and Shawn vanished in a flash of teleportation sparkles, Eric continued, "Everyone else, let's get this place cleaned up, locked down and secure." It wasn't much, he reflected, and it wouldn't last long -- but at least it was something to be doing.

~*~

John swung by his ankles, suspended from the tree by a length of rope. _Just what my day was missing._

"Yahah!" The strange sound -- part whoop part yelp -- echoed through the courtyard once more and with it this time came three very strange creatures.

They were about four feet tall with long spindly arms and legs attached to a pear shaped body. Their heads were pudgy and round, with tapered snouts, wide eyes and ludicrously large, floppy ears. Topping off the look, all three of them were covered in orange fur that tended from a pale-pastel colour for their legs and arms to an eye-hurting Day-Glo version for their ridiculous ears. Set against the pink backdrop, the effect was unsettling to say the least.

"Yah -- wot dis?" questioned one.

"Dis pet," said a second.

"Nah-nah. Dis day-cor." The third was clearly the leader. "Dis not pet. Dis not an-mal."

"Oh great. Orange Jar-Jar Binkses," John muttered.

"It spek?" questioned First.

"Nah-nah. It not spek..."

"I did spek...speak," John interrupted.

"Nah-nah." Third was insistent. "Is day-cor. Is not spek. Is not an-mal."

"I'm not..." But John's protest died in an instant as Second suddenly tugged at his uniform shirt.

"Dis not day-cor. Dis wrap'in," said Second.

"It...hey!"

"Hm -- point got." Third grinned, oblivious of John's half made protest. "We hang where peps see!"

John yelped as Second yanked off his shirt with one surprisingly strong tug.

"No good. More wrap'in."

"It's not...hey -- you leave that...hey!" 

John tried to fend off Second and Third as they attempted to remove the rest of his clothing, but hanging upside down, there was little he could do to prevent his tormentors -- particularly as he learned the reason for the ridiculous ears: Flight. As Third tugged at his undershirt, Second flapped its ears and -- to John's mixed astonishment and horror -- took off. Moments later and the airborne creature started to tug at his pants.

"Yahah!"

The noise was even more ear-splitting and irritating close-up. Particularly given it heralded the successful removal of his undershirt. _Maybe they won't be able to..._ But that thought died an instant death as Third now joined Second in tugging at his pants. With a ripping of cloth, the pants gave way.

"Yahah!"

"Ooh -- me licks, me licks!" bounced First. "But it no match."

"Hm -- point got," agreed Second, making a tug at John's boxers.

"You can leave them alone!" John yelped, flailing his hands in the direction of Second and Third. He groaned. He couldn't see how this situation could get any worse.

Then it promptly did.

"Hm -- we paint," said Third. "Me lick dis." And it made a gesture in the direction of the boxer shorts.

"Oooh -- paint, paint, paint!" bounced First.

"Me gets," said Second.

"Me **got**," said Third, producing what looked like...

John felt his heart sink. It looked for all the world like an airbrush spray-can. "No."

"You paint?" Third suggested, holding the can to First.

"Me do!" 

But just as First's ears started to twitch, blaster fire erupted from entrance to the courtyard. 

Laser blasts exploded either side of John, sending Second and Third scattering and sending First scampering away.

"Yahah! Intruders!" shrieked Third.

"What the hell am I if I'm not?" John yelled.

"Day-cor!"

To his absolute horror, John realised that it wasn't just the orange creatures who informed him of that. He recognised Lexia's voice in the chorus. Looking to the source of the blaster bolts; John found his heart sinking like a stone. Not only Lexia. Also the other Silver Guardian and what looked like a Leprechaun. And worse, all three of them were grinning.

"It be arze!" yelled Second. "Youz get own day-cor."

"No dice, Jar-Jar," said the other Guardian. "He's ours. Now, unless you wanna get your orange asses fried..." Underlining his point, he triggered off a blaster bolt that exploded just short of Second's position.

"Yahah!"

John wanted to be relieved by the obvious sounds of departure on the part of the orange creatures. Unfortunately, relief was in short supply because as the orange creatures departed, Lexia led the Silver Guardian and the Leprechaun into the courtyard and he could see the outright amusement on her face.

_Just kill me now._ Aloud, he said, "You guys have great timing -- you know that?"

"So I see," said the Guardian, smirking. "Too much longer and they'd have had you framed and mounted."

"Um...yeah."

"Nice...look," said Lexia, clearly biting the inside of her cheek trying not to laugh.

"Look -- do you think you could let me down?" John asked.

"Maybe," said the Leprechaun, a wide grin on his face. "But got to say..."

"...love the threads," finished the Guardian.

With that, all three dissolved into uncontrollable laughter. John looked up...and found himself blushing as his eyes fell on the one item of clothing he was still wearing. His boxer shorts. A pair of boxer shorts that had a leopard-skin design, which included a tail printed across the rear.

_Please -- just let me die of embarrassment and humiliation now._

"Wow -- look; he's blushing all over!" exclaimed the Leprechaun.

"I didn't know you could do that," admitted the Guardian.

"Guys," said Lexia, as severely as she could, considering her own laughter, "we ought to get him down."

The Guardian sighed a little, and -- still smiling -- nodded. "True."

"Tell you what," said the Leprechaun. "I'll..." There was a sort of a bampf noise and the Leprechaun disappeared, to reappear on the tree branch John was tied to. "...pop up here and untie him, then you two can catch him."

"Sounds like a plan, James," said Lexia.

"A Leprechaun called James?" echoed John weakly as Lexia and the other Guardian moved into position to catch him.

"You got a problem with that, Leopard-boy?" enquired James from the branch. "I can always leave you here for the Fieries to frame and mount..."

"No -- no problem just..." But the sound of snickering told John he'd been 'had'. Again. _Please, take mercy on me and kill me now..._

It took a little more doing than James had made it sound, but eventually, John was freed and gently set down on the flagstones of the courtyard by Lexia and the other Guardian.

"See if any of your gear's still wearable," Lexia recommended. "Unless you have a real hankering to show up back in the warehouse, in front of Taylor and probably the 'rents too just dressed in those..."

"They were a joke gift from my sister," John muttered.

"Alice has a weird sense of humour," Lexia replied.

John did as she'd recommended, but to his consternation, the only item of clothing he could find in the courtyard was his pants -- and they'd been completely shredded by the creatures -- Fieries, as James had called them -- efforts at removing them.

"JJ -- think he could borrow your shirt?" Lexia asked.

The other Guardian, JJ, grinned. "Sure."

John eyed the other man dubiously as he shrugged out of his equipment harness and started to unbutton his uniform shirt. "It's gonna be huge on me."

"Which would you prefer," Lexia replied, "something or nothing?"

John held his hands up. "Not arguing..."

"Just anticipating more amusement," JJ suggested, this time a good deal of sympathy in his words as he handed over the shirt.

"Thanks -- and yeah." John sighed and pulled on the borrowed shirt. JJ was a good four inches taller than he was. Somewhat to his surprise, though, the shirt wasn't too much longer than his own had been. The real problem was the sleeves, which he had to roll up several times before he could truly find his hands.

"There -- not so bad is it?" said Lexia.

"If we're finished," said James, who was still sitting on the tree branch, "we need to be going."

"Going?" echoed John, even as James made another bampf and rejoined them on the ground.

"We'll fill you in on the way," said Lexia.

~*~

"Not good."

Alice could only watch as Paul paced the chamber. 

It was a strange room. Completely circular in nature and lacking any kind of windows, it had a high-domed ceiling almost like a renaissance chapel, except that the ornate carving that had been done gave the impression of something far more gothic. The guttering torches that lit the room, causing the carvings to cast all manner of weird shadows, aided that aspect.

When she had come round from the stun-blast Alice had found herself imprisoned in the centre of the chamber. The first thing she'd done had been try to escape -- but her bonds were too strong. She'd tried screaming for help, but there hadn't seemed to be anyone else around. It seemed as though whoever had kidnapped her had just abandoned her here.

Wherever here was.

That had been a few hours ago, she thought. Barely half an hour ago, however, she'd discovered that she wasn't alone in this place -- and she'd learned who her kidnapper was -- when Paul had burst into the chamber, muttering and cursing. He'd ignored her, so far, concentrating, instead, on the crystal he'd been holding when he'd entered.

"Why?" Alice asked at this most recent outburst, not expecting a reply.

"They were not supposed to get this far!"

Alice blinked. The reply made no sense. "Who weren't?"

Paul barely spared her a glance as he continued to frantically pace. "They. It's that Leprechaun's fault!"

_OK, do I really **want** this explanation? _Alice wondered. "What Leprechaun?"

"The Leprechaun... Oh this will never do!" He started towards the door. "I must make ready. They must not win!"

And with that, he whirled out, leaving Alice alone once more.

~*~

As they made their way through the final section of the maze, Lexia explained the situation to John and tried to ignore the hormonal, teenage portion of her mind that was busily drooling over the state of undress of both JJ and John.

"So this whole maze is some kinda test?" John asked.

"Yep."

"And Alice is the prize, if you defeat it?"

"Yep."

"Where does James fit in?"

"I want out," said James himself. "I can't get out without someone beating the maze -- and without me being with that someone when it happens."

"What about you," JJ said. "What're you doing here?"

"Ah...that."

Lexia's eyebrows rose at the sheepish tone to John's reply. "What did you do?"

"I..."

"Lexia? JJ? Thank God!" Lexia found herself facing Paul. "I..."

"Who are you?" John cut in.

Lexia blinked. Gone was the sheepishness and embarrassment. In their place was a hardened, business-like tone that carried just a hint of threat to it. "John?"

"I'm Paul Jones," Paul answered. "I'm a Silver Guardian..."

"Are you?" John asked sharply.

"What's your problem?" JJ muttered. "He is -- I've known him three years or so."

"I believe you," John responded. "It's him I don't believe."

"John?"

"Who is this guy?" Paul cut in, looking confused. "Lexia...you know me..."

In speaking, Paul took a step forwards and reached out to take hold of her shoulder. Before she could do or say anything, John had dived between her and Paul, sending the other man back several paces.

"You don't ever touch her," he hissed.

"John?"

"This isn't Paul," John replied.

"How do you know?" JJ asked, dubious.

"Because," John answered, "I know where the real Paul Jones is, and it ain't here."

"You had to be so smart..." In a blur, 'Paul' had grabbed John's arm and twisted it up into a painful hold. "I was going to play nicely but thanks to your little pal here...any of you move; I snap his arm like a twig."

"You're not Paul," said JJ.

"Give the man a banana," 'Paul' shot back. "So naïve it's almost refreshing. You saw me stun Blondie and you **still** think I might actually be your friend." From the way John's face creased up, he tightened his grip. "And you, Alexandria, are you so naïve as to believe you're really going to defeat me?"

The realisation washed over Lexia like a wave of cold water. "Mirracon."

He smirked, even as his appearance rippled into that of the grey, sculpted mutant she and JJ had met at the start of this quest. "I was right -- I am known. You might have put a spoke in my plans; I might not be trapping your parents in here, but what better way to destroy them than to rip their children away from them?"

"You," John growled, "are such a walking cliché."

"And you are in no position to criticise." So saying, Mirracon tightened his grip even more.

Lexia heard the snap of bone as Mirracon's hand crushed John's wrist even over the groan/gasp of pain John made.

"He might not be," said James, "but I am. And I've had just about all I can stand of you, you overblown rock pile!"

Even as James spoke, he was springing forwards, only to be sent flying backwards, into a nearby wall, by a simple gesture of Mirracon's free hand. The thud of James' head hitting the stonework was sickening.

"Stop it!" Lexia screamed.

And everything froze.

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	10. Consequences

Consequences

Lexia blinked. Everything was frozen in place like some kind of weird tableau. Everything, she realised, except her.

"You've finally figured it out."

Mirracon's words startled her. "What...what's going on? What've you done?"

Mirracon, apparently also unaffected by whatever had happened, smirked. "Me? I didn't do anything. You did."

Lexia stared at him as he released John's arm. She half expected the arm to drop. It didn't. "What do you mean?"

Mirracon stepped forward, smirk turning to a snicker. "You didn't think it was at all strange that this place was all pink?" he taunted. "That you knew what was going on...who I was?"

A cold trickle of fear ran down Lexia's spine as she slowly shook her head.

Mirracon laughed more. "My dear, darling, Pinkie; you are as much a part of this little universe as I am."

"No."

"Why would I lie?" Mirracon asked. "Look at the evidence, my dear. You are the reason everything stopped -- it did as you told it."

The accusation felt like a sucker punch. "No...I...I can't be...why... Why would it? Why would I be a part of this?"

Mirracon was now right in front of her, standing within touching distance. "Because I needed an accomplice. And you were so willing. So ready. So...eager to please."

"I don't believe you." The denial was instant, but at the same time, Lexia felt a chill of recognition run the length of her spine.

"Don't you?" 

Mirracon reached out to grab her shoulder. She jerked out of reach. "Don't touch me!"

Mirracon shrugged his sculpted shoulders. "Have it your way. But I must know, my dear, what do you plan now?"

"What I've planned to do all along," Lexia retorted. "I'm going to beat you, beat the hell out of you and rescue Alice."

Lightning fast, Mirracon's hand clamped down on her shoulder. "Are you? I think you might think quite differently when I've finished with you, my dear."

His other hand came down on her other shoulder, effectively pinning her in place and he leaned in. Lexia struggled against him but his greater bulk and strength won out and he kissed her, hard and full on the lips.

The skin-on-skin unleashed a torrent of memories. Hateful, revolting memories from the time between being aged and waking up in Frax's cell with that ersatz and extra information stuffed in her head. Memories that Frax had suppressed. Memories that Zaskin's device couldn't eliminate because they weren't false.

Lexia felt sick to her stomach. She had been willing. Willing to help him. Willing to listen to his silver-tongued words. His flattery. His promises. And he had used her...was trying to use her now...was going to use her against her friends...family...

With as much force as she could muster, Lexia shoved Mirracon away. She obviously caught the mutant unawares and he stumbled backwards.

Mirracon looked stunned. Lexia forced herself to meet his gaze, trying to turn her revulsion into anger. Anger she could use. "I know what you are...who you are."

"You knew before. It didn't bother you then... You know you want me. I can see it."

  
"What I want," Lexia retorted, "is to beat you, beat this maze and rescue Alice." 

Mirracon's face contorted into a scowl. "It's not going to happen. You're not strong enough to beat me."

Lexia forced a smile onto her face. "And that's where you're wrong. Start!" That last was whispered, but it still had the desired effect. Everything unfroze.

"Bitch!" Mirracon screamed.

"I damn give a," Lexia retorted, drawing her blaster and firing in one smooth move.

The first shot caught Mirracon squarely in the chest. So did the second. So did the third.

"Lex?!" JJ was astounded.

"Him or us," Lexia retorted, finally lowering the blaster. Then she managed a faint smile. "Besides. They were stun-bolts."

"Oh."

"Nice shooting, Lex," John offered; now cradling his broken arm to his chest. "But now what?"

"Hope this works," Lexia murmured. John looked bemused. Even more so when she just clicked her fingers.

"Ho-lee shit," JJ murmured as the scenery suddenly changed around them, from a walled maze corridor to a wide, marble hall.

"Lex...how'd you do that?" John asked.

"It's a long story," Lexia replied, frowning.

"You could do that all along?" JJ inquired, disbelief colouring his voice.

"Ask me later, guys," Lexia said. "Like when we're back in the real world again." Her frown deepened as she surveyed the hall. "This isn't right." Then her eyes caught sight of a doorway. "Ah-ha." That was it. She started towards it. "JJ -- see if James is OK." She tossed a bemused John her blaster. "Jonno, if Mirracon so much as breathes too deeply, stun him again."

"Where are you going?" JJ asked.

"To get Alice." _Then we're getting out of here, and I don't have to think about this shit any more._

~*~

JJ looked at John.

"Did that really just happen?" JJ asked.

John sighed. "Yep."

"Do you have any clue what's going on?"

John shook his head. "Nope."

"As long as it's not just me, then."

~*~

When the door of the room suddenly opened, Alice expected that it would be Paul returning. Consequently she was more than startled to see Lexia.

"Wha...?"

Lexia smiled. "And I'm pleased to see you, too, Ali," she quipped.

Alice shook her head. "Sorry I... What the hell **is** going on?"

"Long story," Lexia answered, fully entering the room. "But we're going home now. Just need to..." 

And to Alice's astonishment, rather than physically untie her, Lexia simply snapped her fingers. What was even more astounding was that it worked. The rope that had been binding her wrists and ankles dropped away.

"How...?"

"Part of that long story," Lexia replied with a sigh. "I only want to tell it once...and I'm gonna have to tell it to your dad so..."

Alice nodded as she climbed to her feet. "Fair enough...ouf." The world swayed for a moment or two. "Your mom wasn't wrong about being stunned not being pleasant."

"You OK?" Lexia asked hastily crossing the room to support her.

"Yeah...yeah. Just a bit..." The world swayed again. "Ugh. Don't ever get stunned, Lex. This sucks." Alice found her vision clearing again. "Didn't you mention going home?"

Lexia smiled. "Yeah -- c'mon. Not far."

~*~

Lexia gently helped Alice out of Mirracon's chamber. She was in two minds. On the one hand, she wanted to get out of this nightmare, but on the other hand, it was rapidly dawning with her just how many explanations she needed to make. _And they're not going to be fun._ She sighed.

"Lex?"

JJ's voice drew Lexia out of her thoughts. She realised she'd been walking on autopilot. _Just as well my feet knew where I was going..._ "Sorry, JJ." He gave her a dubious look. "How's James?"

"Got the mother of all headaches," James answered for himself.

"This would be the Leprechaun," Alice observed.

"Yep," James agreed.

"What Leprechaun?" asked John.

"The one Paul was complaining about...speaking of who..." Alice frowned. "Where is he?"

"Not really here," said JJ. "Apparently."

"It was a guise Mirracon was wearing," Lexia answered. "The real Paul's somewhere in the real world."

"SGHQ," put in John.

"Oh." Alice frowned again. "Would I regret asking what you're doing here Jonno? And for that matter, what's with the clothing?"

Lexia found herself smiling in spite of her own situation. "Guess I'm not the only one with explanations."

"He hasn't told you either, huh?"

"No," said JJ. "At least, not why he's here."

"We know about the clothes," James put in.

Alice looked from her brother to JJ and James and back. "Sounds like you guys have been having real fun."

John snorted. "Hardly. Lex -- how do we get out of here, and what're you planning on doing with the rock pile?"

_Damn good question._ "Home's easy." She sighed. "Mirracon..." _You know you have power here. Do something with it._ She frowned for a moment, plotting the course. "Can't kill him. Can't take him with us."

"So, what then?" JJ asked.

Lexia smiled a little, trying to hide a sudden bout of nerves. "Well...need to send James home...but we didn't exactly beat the maze."

The expression on James' face told Lexia he understood, even if no-one else did. He nodded. "Good plan."

"What?" asked John.

"I'm going to trap Mirracon here, permanently."

"What?!"

"How?"

"Huh?" The three responses came at once.

Lexia shook her head. "I'll explain later. Promise." She crouched down in front of James. "I'm sorry."

He offered her a smile. "Not your fault, kiddo."

Ignoring the bemused snorts from behind her, Lexia closed her eyes and concentrated. The key to what she was doing was there. Somewhere... An image started to form in her mind, of the link Mirracon had woven between them, like a brilliant, pink thread. Gently, she took hold of the link and started to pull it.

_"Bitch!"_ Mirracon might be physically unconscious, but his subconscious was still there and aware. _"You can't do this!"_

"Watch me," Lexia retorted. "Never again."

He resisted. She pulled harder. In the physical world, she was distantly aware of a groan. Someone said, "He's coming around."

Then there was a blast of laser fire, and suddenly the resistance was gone. Lexia felt as if she was falling backwards as her efforts were abruptly rewarded. She tried to regain her balance, but to no avail. It felt as if she hit the ground, hard. Winded and dazed, she could feel Mirracon's energy swirling around her and through her like a foul breeze. It was threatening to completely over take her. She felt panic. This was a mistake. She couldn't do it...

She felt someone squeeze her hand. Someone murmured, "You can do it, Lex."

She gritted her teeth and tried to focus the extra energy, but it fought against her. It writhed and twisted, eluding her grasp. She could almost hear sadistic laughter as she tried to master it.

_"You can't do it. You're going to kill yourself trying."_

"Anything's better than doing what you want me to."

She could feel the derision rolling along the residual link between herself and Mirracon and it acted as a spur. She would not fail...could not fail...

Everything seemed to grey a little. The physical world suddenly seemed so far away. So distant. So...

"Lexia?"

It was with difficulty she realised that the voice didn't belong to anyone who'd been in the maze. She really had done it, then. And with that, she fainted.

~*~

Jen folded her arms and leaned against the wall of the warehouse. The site was secure. The jamming device had been found and dealt with. There was no reason for the SGs to remain on-site.

And yet they were still here.

Waiting.

And without any legitimate business remaining, Jen found her mind wandering to the missing quartet. She hadn't allowed herself to worry about Lexia during the cyclobot-battle or during the cleanup. She had needed her mind focussed on the here and now. But now the here and now was quiet.

A glance across at Eric and Kimberly spoke volumes, too. Their expressions matched. Both looked a mix of grim and petrified.

"John's in trouble when he gets back here," Wes murmured as he came to join her.

"What was your first clue?" Jen replied. She sighed. "If they get back."

"They will."

Jen smiled faintly. Wes was still upbeat. Still as confident as he'd ever been. And yet there was a note of hesitancy in his voice. He was as worried as she was. She sighed and opened her mouth to say something in reply, but the words never came.

There was an ear splitting scream and the sound of shattering glass. Instinctively, Jen flinched away from the source -- the mirror circle. A moment later and a gust of wind blew through the warehouse, then the screaming stopped and calm returned, but not quite as before.

Standing, in a now completely wrecked mirror circle, were three out of the four missing people. The fourth was kneeling. Jen's eyes were drawn to her first as it finally penetrated her mind that the kneeler was the source of the scream.

"Lexia?" Jen started forwards, even as Lexia suddenly collapsed in a dead faint.

The faint didn't last long, mercifully -- at least as far as Jen was concerned. As Jen reached the perimeter of the circle, Lexia gave a groan. 

"Lexia?" Jen was aware of Eric and Kimberly greeting John and Alice in a similar fashion, while Ben saw to JJ, but as far as she was concerned, all her attention was on her daughter.

"Mom?" Lexia sounded as if she couldn't quite believe her eyes and ears. "We're back?"

"You're back, kiddo," Wes answered. "Safe and sound."

Lexia managed a weak smile. "Can I go home now?"

Jen smiled a little. "I think we can manage that."

~*~

John could feel from the way Kimberly hugged him that while she was relieved he was back, she was also upset. A look at his father told him just how deep the trouble he was in actually was. As relieved as Eric looked, he was still visibly angry. 

"We'll talk in the morning," Eric said. 

John gulped and took an involuntary pace backwards. The sudden movement sent a fresh blast of pain through his wrist and he winced.

Eric frowned. "John?"

"Honey, what's wrong?" Kimberly asked.

"His wrist's broken," JJ put in before John could say anything. "Mirracon snapped it." John didn't dare look up at his father now. "But John had already saved us."

"John?" Eric repeated.

John still couldn't look up.

"He was the one who knew Paul wasn't Paul," JJ continued. "He stopped Mirracon from grabbing Lexia...and Mirracon broke his wrist."

The feel of a hand on his shoulder made John jump, jarring his wrist again.

"John, how you got there was wrong, but what you did there was right." The tone of Eric's voice finally persuaded John to look up. For the first time since his return, it was something other than simply polite. To John's surprise, Eric looked proud -- and a little worried. "How is your wrist?"

"Hurts."

"Honey, why didn't you say something?" Kimberly wanted to know.

John shrugged a little awkwardly.

"We'll get it checked out on the way home," Eric promised. "OK?"

"Think so."

Eric offered a smile. "OK."

~*~

Alice wasn't entirely surprised by the looks Eric was giving John. From her brother's reticence to explain what he was doing in Mirracon's twisted little world, she knew he'd done something silly. And given Lexia's presence...

"Penny for 'em?" asked Rick.

Alice shook her head. "They're not worth that much."

"You OK?"

"Yeah." Alice felt another wave of tiredness and dizziness overtake her. "Uhg."

"Whoa!"

Rick's exclamation came from a lot closer to her than she expected. That realisation more than anything drew her out of the spell. She found she was leaning against him, held up by his arms.

"You OK?" he repeated.

A little self-consciously, Alice pulled away. "Yeah...just...kinda...um...got stunned."

Rick winced. "Is it as bad as mom made out?"

"Worse." _Keep talking. Don't have to think about how nice his arms felt. Don't have to think about having the hots for your brother's best friend._

"Ew." Rick grimaced.

"OK people," Eric called, interrupting the conversation. "Time to go home."

"Rick?" Jen called.

"I guess I'd...uh...better go," Rick said, hesitantly.

"OK, honey?" Kimberly asked, putting her arm around Alice.

"I guess," Alice replied. "See you tomorrow, Rick."

Rick offered her a smile. "Yeah."

"C'mon," said Kimberly, gently leading Alice in the other direction. "You'll feel better after a night's sleep."

Alice managed a smile but the slightly giddy feeling that lingered after seeing Rick smile at her owed nothing to the stun bolt.

~*~

Taylor sighed as she sank down on to the couch. What a way to rejoin the SG's active roster! "Ow."

"Can I tell you I told you so yet?" Ben asked as he followed her into the living room.

"What for?" Taylor looked up at him.

He waved a hand in her direction. "That going back onto active duty was a bad idea?"

Taylor groaned. "Oh drop it, Ben."

He offered her a smile as he crouched beside the couch. "I was worried about you. Especially when the boss told me about Paul showing up at SGHQ."

"I know Ben. But..." Taylor sighed. "I can't not be active. I can't just sit and be waited on. I can't...it just isn't me."

It was Ben's turn to sigh. "I understand." He smiled again, faintly this time. "Doesn't...won't stop me from worrying."

Taylor struggled to sit forwards. "Look, if it's any help to you, I can only be active for a maximum of three weeks. After that and if I haven't signed myself off from active duty, Jackson will do it for me." She hesitated, then added, "And...OK...yes. Today wasn't great." The look of outright surprise on Ben's face was worth the admission, Taylor decided, swallowing back a grin. "When Eric's done with sorting out the kids tomorrow he wants to speak to me anyway...I can...talk to him."

"You will?"

Taylor's grin finally burst into life at that. Ben sounded so pleased and stunned the effect was comical. "I will. I warn you now, I'm not going to take myself off the active roster until I absolutely have to but...maybe I don't need to be **this** active."

Ben suddenly wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I love you," he murmured.

~*~

Lexia closed the door of her bedroom door behind her and leaned against it in relief. She was finally alone. It was finally her chance to think without the constant 'are you OK' questioning from her parents and brother tapping away at her barriers. Yes she had fainted, but it wasn't a big deal. Trouble was, to prove it wasn't a big deal, she needed to explain...and that prospect filled her with dread.

Commander Myers was almost certainly going to want that explanation. So would JJ, John and Alice. So did her parents.

But she couldn't tell them the truth. Not all of it.

She pushed off from the door and walked into the room. Looking around it, she felt a metaphorical knife twist in her gut as her eyes fell on all the reminders of what she'd lost. The collection of Barbie dolls, the slim easy-reader and picture books, the teddy bears, they all sat on her shelves and stared mockingly back at her. Signs of a kid.

_But the kid doesn't live here any more._

In a sudden surge of anger, she snatched up the nearest smirking doll and tore the head from it. It wasn't enough. She pulled the arms and legs off too, relishing the snap of rubber and plastic. It still wasn't enough. She flung the torso away. It bounced, hollowly, off the wall and landed with a dull thud on the carpeting. Nothing was enough.

The anger drained away into depression.

The anger didn't help. Didn't make her feel better. Didn't take away the knowledge of what Frax and Mirracon had set her up for. Didn't take away the humiliation of knowing they didn't even have to work for her cooperation. 

She sank down on the bed and put her head in her hands. 

What was she going to do?

~*~

Katherine Elizabeth Drake -- Katie to her friends -- looked at her husband.

"You're sure?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure of much," he admitted. "The amount of information I can verify is...virtually nil."

"But you're sure about this, I can tell."

"It's the only logical step he can make now," her husband answered.

"We **have** to tell them."

"How?" her husband asked. "I know for a fact that I'm being watched. They have no proof of anything against me, but his network is watching me." He lowered his voice even further. "Why do you think we're having this conversation here?" And he made an expansive gesture as if pointing to the flora of the nature park they were walking through.

"I know they have our home bugged," Katie answered in similar tones. "But we've got to try and warn them. You know what he's already been through. They don't deserve this...he doesn't deserve this."

Her husband's shoulders sagged a little. "I know. I just feel so goddamn helpless, Kat. That son of a bitch has all but got me hogtied."

"We can go to Lucas," Katie replied. "I can comm. him without arousing any suspicion -- he's an old friend, after all. Better yet -- I'm seeing Trip tomorrow. I can get Trip to hook up a meeting."

Her husband wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Have I told you you're a genius?"

"Not lately," Katie replied, returning the hug. She kissed him. "We'll get through this somehow. I promise."

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED IN QUANTUM CHAOS..._


End file.
